Beside the
courthouse was a shooting gallery not overmuch used except during the two
annual seasons of prosperity and reckless spending, and Pete Glass secured
this place to test out applicants. After, they passed this trial they were
mustered into his presence, and he gave them an examination for himself.
Just what he asked them or what he could never be known, but some men came
from his presence very red, and others extremely pale, and some men
blustered, and some men swore, and some men rode hastily out of town and
spoke not a word, but few, very few, were those who came out wearing a
little badge on their vest with the pride of a Knight of the Garter. At
first the hordes rode in, young and old, youths keen for a taste of
adventure, rusty fellows who had once been noted warriors; but these early
levies soon discovered that courage and willingness was not so much valued
as accuracy, and the old-timers learned, also, that accuracy must be
accompanied by speed; and even when a man possessed both these qualities of
hand and eye the gentle, inscrutable little man in his office might still
reject them for reasons they could not guess.
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