Finally I could endure the suspense no longer, and, arming myself with my two Colt revolvers and a carbine, I strapped two belts of
cartridges about me and catching my saddle horse, started down the trail taken by Powell in the morning.
The flaps of the
cartridge boxes were all unfastened, and bobbed idiotically with each movement.
I am content with this new little rifle and all its
cartridges.
This was our total armament, and doubtless the reader will observe that the weapons of each class were of the same make and calibre, so that the
cartridges were interchangeable, a very important point.
Unless the powder from a badly fitting
cartridge happens to spurt backward, one may fire many shots without leaving a sign.
It was a short rifle with a big
cartridge, and a nearly full magazine.
Werper had fired all but a single
cartridge, when, during a lull in the fighting, he called aloud to his opponent.
With a bound he was upon his feet and at the same instant brought his other gun from his side and levelled it upon the man who had released him; but as his finger tightened upon the trigger Virginia Maxon sprang between them and grasping von Horn's wrist deflected the muzzle of the gun just as the
cartridge exploded.
And then, as the bear surged forward toward me, the hammer fell--futilely, upon an imperfect
cartridge.
There was no releasing of the ancient padlocks in the time that was left him, so the ape-man called to them to follow him as they were, and, snatching the gun and
cartridge belt from the dead sentry, he led the now happy band out through the village gate and into the forest upon the far side of the clearing.
He refilled the clip, threw a
cartridge into the chamber, and, with the trigger at full cock, thrust up the safety ratchet.
Their ears were perforated with many of these holes, the smallest capable of receiving a
cartridge, while the larger ones contained-clay pipes, sticks of tobacco, and even boxes of matches.