'Bing! Bing! Bing!'"
The suggestion of noise stirred his comrade. "I'll bet she'll go
off louder'n that time the gas-works blew up! I wouldn't be
afraid to shoot her off ANY time."
"I bet you would," said Penrod. "You aren't used to revolavers
the way I--"
"You aren't, either!" Sam exclaimed promptly, "I wouldn't be any
more afraid to shoot her off than you would."
"You would, too!"
"I would not!"
"Well, let's see you then; you talk so much!" And Penrod handed
the weapon scornfully to Sam, who at once became less
self-assertive.
"I'd shoot her off in a minute," Sam said, "only it might break
sumpthing if it hit it."
"Hold her up in the air, then. It can't hurt the roof, can it?"
Sam, with a desperate expression, lifted the revolver at arm's
length. Both boys turned away their heads, and Penrod put his
fingers in his ears--but nothing happened. "What's the matter?"
he demanded. "Why don't you go on if you're goin' to?"
Sam lowered his arm. "I guess I didn't have her cocked," he said
apologetically, whereupon Penrod loudly jeered.
"Tryin' to shoot a revolaver and didn't know enough to cock her!
If I didn't know any more about revolavers than that, I'd--"
"There!" Sam exclaimed, managing to draw back the hammer until
two chilling clicks warranted his opinion that the pistol was now
ready to perform its office.
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