As the truth flashed home, Neilson's first thought was of his rifle. He
was a wilderness man, trained to put his trust in the weapon of steel;
and if it were only in his hands, there might yet be time to prevent the
abduction. One well-aimed bullet over the water, shooting with all his
old-time skill, might yet hurl the avenger to his death in the moment of
his triumph. Just one keen, long gaze over the sights,--heaven or earth
could not yield him a vision half so glorious as this! For all his
terror he knew that he could shoot as he had never shot before, true as
a light-ray. His remorseless eyes for once could see clear and sure. One
shot--and then Beatrice could seize the paddle and save herself. And he
cursed himself, more bitterly than he had ever cursed an enemy, when his
empty hands showed him that he had left his rifle in his cabin.
His pistol, however, was at his belt, and his hand reached for it. But
the range was already too far for any hope of accurate pistol fire. His
hard eyes gazed along the short, black barrel. His steady finger pressed
back against the trigger.
The first shot fell far short. The pistol was of large caliber but small
velocity; and a hundred yards was its absolute limit of point-blank
range. He lifted the gun higher and shot again. Again he shot low. But
the third bullet fell just a few feet on the near side of the canoe.
He had the range now, and he shot again. It was like a dream, outside
his consciousness, that Beatrice was screaming with fear and amazement.
She was already too far to give or receive a message: all hope lay in
the pistol alone. The fifth shot splashed water beyond the craft.
Once more he fired, but the boat was farther distant now, and the bullet
went wild. The pistol was empty. Like a moose leaping through a marsh he
turned back to his cabin for his rifle.
But already he knew that he was lost. Before ever he could climb up the
hundred yards to the cabin, and back again, the craft would be around
the bend in the river. Heavy brush would hide it from then on. He
hastened frantically up the narrow, winding trail.