"I can shoot off a gun as well as anybody.

I wonder will robbers come to-night!" thought Andy.
He rather wished they would, so that he might have an excuse for firing the gun.

However, of this there seemed very little chance, for had not Miss Priscilla said that it had been loaded for more than a year, and during all that time John had never had occasion to use it?
This seemed rather discouraging.
"I wonder would they let me go out gunning with it ?" thought Andy.
Somehow or other, he could not get his mind off the gun, and, after a lapse of an hour, he was as wide awake as ever.
Meanwhile, Priscilla and Sophia were both asleep, not being interested in the gun.
Finally it occurred to Andy that he would get up and look at the gun.
He wanted to make sure that he understood how to fire it.

It was important that he should do so, he reasoned to himself, for might not a burglar come that very night?
Then, suppose he was unable to fire the gun, and in consequence of his ignorance, both he and the two ladies should be murdered in their beds.

Of course, this was not to be thought of, so Andy got out of bed, and, finding a match, lit the candle and put it on the bureau, or chest of drawers, as they called it in the country.
Then he stepped softly to the closet and took out the gun.
"Murder! how heavy it is!" thought Andy.