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Updated: May 7, 2025
Moker," replied our hero. "I want to know why you shot at me? I demand to know!" and Mr. Moker, who was a sort of miserly town character, living all alone in a small house, just beyond Tom's home, again shook his fist almost in the lad's face. "Why don't you tell me? Why don't you tell me?" he shouted. "I will, if you give me a chance!" fairly exploded Tom.
"That's what the rifle will do at short range," said Tom. "Don't worry, Mr. Moker, you didn't have a narrow escape. You were in no danger at all, though I apologize for the fright I caused you." "Humph! That's an easy way to get out of it!" exclaimed the miser. "I believe I could sue you for damages, anyhow. Look at my scorched wall paper."
"I'm afraid I might disturb Mr. Moker, or some of the neighbors." "No danger. I've got it adjusted right now. Come on, see if you can shatter this steel target," and Tom set up a small one at the end of the range. Then, having properly fixed the weapon, Tom handed it to his chum, and, taking his place in a protected part of the gallery, prepared to watch the effect of the shot.
The charge, after passing through the steel plate, and the scarecrow figure, destroying the latter, went on, and shot through the side of your house." "Ha! I knew you were trying to shoot me!" exclaimed the still angry man. "I'll have the law on you for this!" "Oh, that's all nonsense!" broke in Ned Newton. "Everybody knows Tom Swift wouldn't try to shoot you, or any one else, Mr. Moker."
That is, the electrical discharge couldn't go beyond that distance." "I don't know what it was, but it went through the side of my house all the same," insisted Mr. Moker. "It didn't make a hole, but it scorched the wall paper a little." "I don't see how it could," declared Tom. "It couldn't possibly have gone over two hundred feet with the gage set for that distance."
"I'll tell you, if you'll only give me a chance," went on Tom wearily. "How do you know it was me shooting?" "How do I know? Why, doesn't the end of this shooting gallery of yours point right at my house? Of course it does; you can't deny it!" Tom did not attempt to, and Mr. Moker went on: "Now what do you mean by it?"
"If you can be cool for five minutes, and come inside and tell me what happened I'll be glad to answer any of your questions, Mr. Moker. I didn't shoot at you." "Yes, you did! You tried to shoot a hole through me!" "Tell me about it?" suggested Tom, as the excited man calmed down somewhat. "Are you hurt?" "No, but it isn't your fault that I'm not. You tried hard enough to hurt me.
He paused suddenly, and hurried over to where he had placed his gun. Catching up the weapon he looked at the gage dial. Then he uttered an exclamation. "I'm sorry to admit that you are right, Mr. Moker!" he said finally. "I made a mistake. The gage is set for a thousand feet instead of two hundred. I forgot to change it.
Where are you? Don't try to hide away, now. You were trying to shoot me, and I'm not going to have it!" Some one pounded on the door of the shed. "It's Barney Moker!" exclaimed Tom. "I wonder what can have happened?" Tom Swift opened the door of the improvised rifle gallery and looked out. By the light of a full moon, which shone down from a cloudless sky, he saw a man standing at the portal.
"And after this, just fire that gun of yours the other way," suggested Mr. Moker as he went out, carefully folding the bills which Tom had handed him. "Hum! that was rather queer," remarked Ned, after a pause. "It sure was," agreed his chum. "This rifle will do more than I thought it would. I'll have to be more careful. I was sure I set the gage for two hundred feet.
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