“Well done,” shouted Fred and myself in a breath; but the natives manifested no applause, and even Smith shook his head and muttered,—­

“He can do better than that; but the youngster is nervous and hardly awake.  Come, old boy,” turning to the older native, “try your hand at the business, and let’s see what you can do.”

After the usual telegraphing, he was made to understand what was wanted; and taking a spear a trifle heavier than the one before used, retreated nearly ten paces farther from the mark, and without apparently using the same precautions for accuracy, let it fly.

It struck the piece of paper nearly in the centre, and penetrated the tree four or five inches, quivered for a moment, but before it had ceased, the native had snatched up another spear and hurled it after the first.  The second struck within an inch of its companion, and the united strength of Fred and myself was necessary to draw them from the tree.

“Now let them see what Americans can do with rifles,” cried the convict, as he saw that the natives were rather jubilant over the feat of their companion.

Neither Fred nor myself were what was called crack shots, either with revolver or rifle; but we were fair, and had no need to feel ashamed of our shooting.  Determined to let the natives witness a specimen of our skill, we pinned a piece of white rag, not larger than the palm of my hand, upon the tree, discharged our rifles and carefully reloaded them to be sure that they were not foul, and then retreated until we could just see the rag.

The natives watched our proceedings in silence, but with considerable curiosity, squatting upon the ground, and looking first at the target and then at ourselves with an expression which seemed to say, “if you hit that rag you are smarter than we think you are.”

Indeed, so important did they consider the occasion, that they dragged from the huts half a dozen women, and as many naked children, to witness the exhibition.

I was to fire first; and as I drew a bead upon the mark, I carefully calculated the distance, and with such accuracy that the bullet cut the end of the mark, and carried a portion of the rag far into the body of the tree.

“Hurrah for the rifles,” shouted Smith, waving his hat, after he had pointed out to the natives what had been done.

The crowd which had clustered around the tree stepped back as Fred took his station.  He was not so long sighting as myself, but his bullet struck about an inch above my own, and nearly in the centre of the mark.

“Better and better,” cried Smith, in tones of surprise; and when we joined him, we saw by his actions that we had risen in his estimation, while the natives, still squatting on their haunches, looked as though we were gods, or beings of a superior order.

“Here come the oxen,” cried Smith, after a few words of congratulation.  “We must get over thirty miles of ground before twelve o’clock to-night.”