Then he began to feel nervous about it, and he cocked and uncocked the gun about twenty times, as his mind changed in regard to the operation.

The last time the gun was cocked he resolved _not_ to take the tooth out in that way, and he began to let the hammer down preparatory to cutting the string.

Just then the hammer slipped, and the next minute Mr.Potts' tooth was flying through the air at the rate of fifty miles a minute, and he was rolling over on the floor howling and spitting blood.

After Mrs.Potts had picked him up and given him water with which to wash out his mouth he went down to the front window.

While he was sitting there thinking that maybe it was all for the best, he saw some men coming by carrying a body on a shutter.