Chapter 8

He fitted the washer on to the boss of the dagger in the open breech of the rifle, pushed it into the barrel, inserted the cartridge, and closed the breech. Then, opening the office-door, he displayed a target of padded strawboard against the wall. “The length of the two rooms,” said he, “gives us a distance of thirty-two feet. Will you shut the windows, Jervis?” I complied, and he then pointed the rifle at the target. There was a dull report—much less loud than I had expected—and when we looked at the target, we s…