The Muzzles

　　Xu Quangxing

　　Yang had just been sent back to his former post, Chief of the Provincial Building Material Bureau.

　　Later one afternoon he was walking with Secretary Li, hunting beside the lake where wormwood grew abundantly among scattered reeds. There were seemingly endless green mountain ranges stretching into thin mist, and wild geese silhouetted against the glow of the setting sun. An autumn stream ruffled by the west wind, and the lines of wild geese set against the background of distant mountains embracing the sinking sun, harmoniously merged to enhance the joy of the hunters.

　　"Quack!” came the cry o# a startled water bird. Bureau Chief Yang took the brand-new hunting gun from Secretary L and caressed it with affection. It was a double-barreled shotgun with a shining blue body and a pair of chilling black muzzles. He had never held such a fine weapon, not even in those days of

　　guerrilla warfare thirty years before.

　　"Quack! Quack!" Out fluttered into the air several grey-feathered ducks with white necks and yellow webbed feet. The commune hunters stole to the lakeside, their hounds at their heels. Several muzzles at once aimed at the fleeing birds in the air.

　　"Bang!" Old Yang fired. A wisp of white smoke dispersed to reveal a duck falling from the sky like a stringless kite.

　　"You've scored a hit! Chief Yang, you did deserve to be called the crackshot in the guerrilla warfare days!" Secretary Li jumped and shouted with joy like a child and rushed to pick up the shot bird.

　　Old Yang chuckled, patted the gun and said, “Excellent shotgun! Excellent indeed!"

　　As they were walking to the waiting black car, Old Yang remarked, “That fellow Wang recommended a fairly good spot to us for hunting.”

　　Seizing the opportunity, Secretary Li cut in probingly, “He used to be your subordinate, didn't he? This time Ws asked you to grant him 50 tons of building material . . .

　　枪口

　　徐光兴

　　官复原职的N省建材局杨局长和李秘书，走在篙草丛生、芦荻疏落的湖边。

　　“烟中列峋青无数，雁背夕阳红欲暮。”西风，秋水，雁阵，衔着落日的远山，交融在一起，更增添打猎者的无限兴致。

　　“嘎——”传来一声水禽被惊动的鸣叫。杨局长从李秘书手里接过一支崭新的猎枪，爱抚地摸了一下。它是双筒枪管，枪身瓦蓝铮亮，枪口黑黝黝的，有一股逼人的寒气。货三十多年前他打游击时，也没拿到过这样的枪。

　　“吱嘎——嘎呷”，从附近湖面的荷梗残苇中，窜出几只白颈黄蹼、羽毛灰麻麻的水鸭子，在空中扑腾乱飞，惊悸声声。赶着猎狗的捕猎社员，也悄悄地摸到这儿。

　　好几支猎枪的枪口，同时瞄准了这些空中猎物。

　　“砰——”老杨开枪了。一缕白烟消散，一只水鸭子像断线的风筝，从半空中坠下。

　　“打中喽，打中喽!杨局长，你真不愧是当年游击队里的神枪手。”李秘书像个孩子似的跳着嚷着，奔过去捡猎获物。

　　老杨只是“嘿嘿”笑了几声，拍着枪连声说：“好枪，好枪!”

　　他俩朝熄了引擎的黑色小轿车走去。老杨说：“老王这家伙，介绍的地点还蛮不错呢。”

　　李秘书试探地凑上前去说：“他是您的老部下嘛。这次他请您批50吨建材物资给他……”