roland tensed , waiting first to see if she would know the firing pins had already been struck , waiting next to see if she would turn the gun , look into the other end of the cylinder , and see there was only emptiness there instead of lead ( he had thought of loading the guns with cartridges which had already misfired , but only briefly ; cort had taught them that every gun is ultimately ruled by old man splitfoot , and a cartridge which misfires once may not do so a second time ) .