22
Zillah Moody
and unwrapped it. The covering had thawed in the heat thrown out
by the fire. The firearm itself wasn't frozen.
"'Have you ever used a gun like this before"'
"I said that I hadn't, I'd never used a gun at all."
'"Alright I'll show you,"' he said
"He took the gun and looked down the barrel from the breech end
after pulling back the hammer which caught on a latch of some sort
with a satisfying click. It contained a piece of flint held in a vice padded with
a piece of thin leather. He then let the hammer down slowly
and peered into it. He said, '"It's already loaded. Our fugitive must
know we're here so if he hears this go off it doesn't much matter."'
"He got up and moved outside and downwind about twenty metres
pointed the gun up into the air and discharged it. I heard the bang
outside but apart from the horses starting slightly and the dog's ears
pricking up there was no other effect. The Cossack returned quickly
to the bivouac. '"It's cold out there!"'
"He settled down again."
'"At least we know definitely it's not loaded now. Actually this gun
is quite clean, normally they get all furred up inside the barrel after a
dozen shots but I think these chaps kept their weapons up to scratch."'
"He took a cartridge from his own pack."
'"These will do," he said. "I use a French musket anyway. All these
bullets are slightly too small. It's deliberate because the powder residue builds
up inside the barrel. But it means it is not accurate, you
will have to wait until he is within about 10 metres of you before you
fire. In here, in this little waxed paper package is a measured charge
of gunpowder and a lead ball. What you do is this. You open the pan
here, then you bite the end off this cartridge which contains the ball
and gunpowder. It's only waxed paper so it's quite easy. Keep the lead
ball in your mouth. You pour a small amount of powder into the pan
and then close it. Then stand the rifle on its butt and remove the ramrod
from its housing, here. You pull it right out because you are going
to use it to push the rest of the powder, the ball and the remains of