"And I don't want you to; but I'll shoot with you for your horse against
mine and all else I have offered."

The sergeant was a grasping man, and confident of his powers, at last
assented, and the match was to take place at once.

But the officers learning of it were determined Billy should have fair
play, and a day was set a week off, and the boy was told to practice
regularly with both pistol and rifle, for the terms were ten off-hand
shots with the latter at fifty and one hundred yards, and six shots
standing with the revolver at fifteen paces and six from horseback, and
riding at full speed by the target.

Billy at once set to work to practice, though he had confidence in his
unerring aim, and upon the day of trial came to the fort with a smiling
face.

Nearly everybody in the fort went out to see the match, and the sergeant
was called first to toe the mark.

He raised his rifle and his five shots at fifty yards were quickly
fired.

Billy gave a low whistle, but toed the scratch promptly, and his five
shots were truer than the sergeant's, and a wild cheer broke from one
and all.

At one hundred yards the sergeant's shooting was better than the boy's;
and so it was with the pistol shooting, for when standing the sergeant's