I could take the head off of them chatterin' little imps, when I got a fair shot at 'em with a ball, at any reasonable distance, a'most in nine cases out of ten.
"Well, one day I was out as usual, and our Irish help Paddy Burke was along with me, and every time he see'd me a drawin' of the bead fine on 'em, he used to say, 'Well, you've an excellent gun entirely, Master Sam.

Oh by Jakers! the squirrel has no chance with that gun, it's an excellent one entirely.' "At last I got tired a hearin' of him a jawin' so for ever and a day about the excellent gun entirely; so, sais I, 'You fool you, do you think it's the gun that does it _entirely_ as you say; ain't there a little dust of skill in it?
Do you think you could fetch one down ?' "'Oh, it's a capital gun entirely,' said he.
"'Well,' said I, 'if it 'tis, try it now, and see what sort of a fist you'll make of it.' "So Paddy takes the rifle, lookin' as knowin' all the time as if he had ever seed one afore.

Well, there was a great red squirrel, on the tip-top of a limb, chatterin' away like any thing, chee, chee, chee, proper frightened; he know'd it warn't me, that was a parsecutin' of him, and he expected he'd be hurt.

They know'd me, did the little critters, when they seed me, and they know'd I never had hurt one on 'em, my balls never givin' 'em a chance to feel what was the matter of them; but Pat they didn't know, and they see'd he warn't the man to handle 'old Bull-Dog.' I used to call my rifle Bull-Dog, cause she always bit afore she barked.
"Pat threw one foot out astarn, like a skullin' oar, and then bent forrards like a hoop, and fetched the rifle slowly up to the line, and shot to the right eye.

Chee, chee, chee, went the squirrel.