the ivory child-第4章

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has　become　a　kind　of　fetish　in　these　parts；　Mr。　Quatermain。　For

instance；　it　is　a　tradition　on　this　estate　that　we　must　kill　more

pheasants　than　on　any　other　in　the　country；　and　therefore　I　have　to

ask　the　best　guns；　who　are　not　always　the　best　fellows。　It　annoys　me；

but　it　seems　that　I　must　do　what　was　done　before　me。〃



〃Under　those　circumstances　I　should　be　inclined　to　give　up　the　thing

altogether；　Lord　Ragnall。　Sport　as　sport　is　good；　but　when　it　becomes

a　business　it　grows　hateful。　I　know；　who　have　had　to　follow　it　as　a

trade　for　many　years。〃



〃That's　an　idea；〃　he　replied　reflectively。　〃Meanwhile；　I　do　hope　that

you　will　win　back　your￡5　from　Sir　Junius。　He　is　so　vain　that　I　would

gladly　give　￡50　to　see　you　do　so。〃



〃There　is　little　chance　of　that；〃　I　said；　〃for；　as　I　told　you；　I　have

never　shot　pheasants　before。　Still；　I'll　try；　as　you　wish　it。〃



〃That's　right。　And　look　here；　Mr。　Quatermain；　shoot　well　forward　of

them。　You　see；　I　am　venturing　to　advise　you　now；　as　you　advised　me

yesterday。　Shot　does　not　travel　so　fast　as　ball；　and　the　pheasant　is　a

bird　that　is　generally　going　much　quicker　than　you　think。　Now；　here　we

are。　Charles　will　show　you　your　stand。　Good　luck　to　you。〃



Ten　minutes　later　the　game　began　outside　of　a　long　covert；　all　the

seven　guns　being　posted　within　sight　of　each　other。　So　occupied　was　I

in　watching　the　preliminaries；　which　were　quite　new　to　me；　that　I

allowed　first　a　hare　and　then　a　hen　pheasant　to　depart　without　firing

at　them；　which　hen　pheasant；　by　the　way；　curved　round　and　was

beautifully　killed　by　Van　Koop；　who　stood　two　guns　off　upon　my　right。



〃Look　here；　Allan；〃　said　Scroope；　〃if　you　are　going　to　beat　your

African　friend　you　had　better　wake　up；　for　you　won't　do　it　by　admiring

the　scenery　or　that　squirrel　on　a　tree。〃



So　I　woke　up。　Just　at　that　moment　there　was　a　cry　of　〃cock　forward。〃　I

thought　it　meant　a　cock　pheasant；　and　was　astonished　when　I　saw　a

beautiful　brown　bird　with　a　long　beak　flitting　towards　me　through　the

tops　of　the　oak　trees。



〃Am　I　to　shoot　at　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Of　course。　It　is　a　woodcock；〃　answered　Scroope。



By　this　time　the　brown　bird　was　rocking　past　me　within　ten　yards。　I

fired　and　killed　it；　for　where　it　had　been　appeared　nothing　but　a

cloud　of　feathers。　It　was　a　quick　and　clever　shot；　or　so　I　thought。

But　when　Charles　stepped　out　and　picked　from　the　ground　only　a　beak

and　a　head；　a　titter　of　laughter　went　down　the　whole　line　of　guns　and

loaders。



〃I　say；　old　chap；〃　said　Scroope；　〃if　you　will　use　No。　3　shot；　let　your

birds　get　a　little　farther　off　you。〃



The　incident　upset　me　so　much　that　immediately　afterwards　I　missed

three　easy　pheasants　in　succession；　while　Van　Koop　added　two　to　his

bag。



Scroope　shook　his　head　and　Charles　groaned　audibly。　Now　that　I　was　not

in　competition　with　his　master　he　had　become　suddenly　anxious　that　I

should　win；　for　in　some　mysterious　way　the　news　of　that　bet　had

spread；　and　my　adversary　was　not　popular　amongst　the　keeper　class。



〃Here　you　come　again；〃　said　Scroope；　pointing　to　an　advancing

pheasant。



It　was　an　extraordinarily　high　pheasant；　flushed；　I　think；　outside　the

covert　by　a　stop；　so　high　that；　as　it　travelled　down　the　line；

although　three　guns　fired　at　it；　including　Van　Koop；　none　of　them

seemed　to　touch　it。　Then　I　fired；　and　remembering　Lord　Ragnall's

advice；　far　in　front。　Its　flight　changed。　Still　it　travelled　through

the　air；　but　with　the　momentum　of　a　stone　to　fall　fifty　yards　to　my

right；　dead。



〃That's　better！〃　said　Scroope；　while　Charles　grinned　all　over　his

round　face；　muttering：



〃Wiped　his　eye　that　time。〃



This　shot　seemed　to　give　me　confidence；　and　I　improved　considerably；

though；　oddly　enough；　I　found　that　it　was　the　high　and　difficult

pheasants　which　I　killed　and　the　easy　ones　that　I　was　apt　to　muff。　But

Van　Koop；　who　was　certainly　a　finished　artist；　killed　both。



At　the　next　stand　Lord　Ragnall；　who　had　been　observing　my　somewhat

indifferent　performance；　asked　me　to　stand　back　with　him　behind　the

other　guns。



〃I　see　the　tall　ones　are　your　line；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　said；　〃and　you

will　get　some　here。〃



On　this　occasion　we　were　placed　in　a　dip　between　two　long　coverts

which　lay　about　three　hundred　yards　apart。　That　which　was　being　beaten

proved　full　of　pheasants；　and　the　shooting　of　those　picked　guns　was

really　a　thing　to　see。　I　did　quite　well　here；　nearly；　but　not

altogether；　as　well　as　Lord　Ragnall　himself；　though　that　is　saying　a

great　deal；　for　he　was　a　lovely　shot。



〃Bravo！〃　he　said　at　the　end　of　the　beat。　〃I　believe　you　have　got　a

chance　of　winning　your　￡5；　after　all。〃



When；　however；　at　luncheon；　more　than　an　hour　later；　I　found　that　I

was　thirty　pheasants　behind　my　adversary；　I　shook　my　head；　and　so　did

everybody　else。　On　the　whole；　that　luncheon；　of　which　we　partook　in　a

keeper's　house；　was　a　very　pleasant　meal；　though　Van　Koop　talked　so

continuously　and　in　such　a　boastful　strain　that　I　saw　it　irritated　our

host　and　some　of　the　other　gentlemen；　who　were　very　pleasant　people。

At　last　he　began　to　patronize　me；　asking　me　how　I　had　been　getting　on

with　my　〃elephant…potting〃　of　late　years。



I　replied；　〃Fairly　well。〃



〃Then　you　should　tell　our　friends　some　of　your　famous　stories；　which　I

promise　I　won't　contradict；〃　he　said；　adding：　〃You　see；　they　are

different　from　us；　and　have　no　experience　of　big…game　shooting。〃



〃I　did　not　know　that　you　had　any；　either；　Sir　Junius；〃　I　answered；

nettled。　〃Indeed；　I　thought　I　remembered　your　telling　me　in　Africa

that　the　only　big　game　you　had　ever　shot　was　an　ox　sick　with　the　red…

water。　Anyway；　shooting　is　a　business　with　me；　not　an　amusement；　as　it

is　to　you；　and　I　do　not　talk　shop。〃



At　this　he　collapsed　amid　some　laughter；　after　which　Scroope；　the　most

loyal　of　friends；　began　to　repeat　exploits　of　mine　till　my　ears

tingled；　and　I　rose　and　went　outside　to　look　at　the　weather。



It　had　changed　very　much　during　luncheon。　The　fair　promise　of　the

morning　had　departed；　the　sky　was　overcast；　and　a　wind；　blowing　in

strong　gusts；　was　rising　rapidly；　driving　before　it　occasional

scurries　of　snow。



〃My　word；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　who　had　joined　me；　〃the　Lake　covert

that's　our　great　stand　here；　you　knowwill　take　some　shooting　this

afternoon。　We　ought　to　kill　seven　hundred　pheasants　in　it　with　this

team；　but　I　doubt　if　we　shall　get　five。　Now；　Mr。　Quatermain；　I　am

going　to　stand　Sir　Junius　Fortescue　and　you　back　in　the　covert；　where

you　will　have　the　best　of　it；　as　a　lot　of　pheasants　will　never　face

the　lake　against　this　wind。　What　is　more；　I　am　coming　with　you；　if　I

may；　as　six　guns　are　enough　for　this　beat；　and　I　don't　mean　to　shoot

any　more　to…day。〃



〃I　fear　that　you　will　be　disappointed；〃　I　said　nervously。



〃Oh；　no；　I　sha'n't；〃　he　answered。　〃I　tell　you　frankly　that　if　only　you

could　have　a　season's　practice；　in　my　opinion　you　would　make　the　best

pheasant　shot　of　the　lot　of　us。　At　present　you　don't　quite　understand

the　ways　of　the　birds；　that's　all；　also　those　guns　are　strange　to　you。

Have　a　glass　of　cherry　brandy；　it　will　steady　your　nerves。〃



I　drank　the　cherry　brandy；　and　presently　off　we　went。　The　covert　we

were　going　to　shoot；　into　which　we　had　been　driving　pheasants　all　the

morning；　must　have　been　nearly　a　mile　long。　At　the　top　end　it　was

broad；　narrowing　at　the　bottom　to　a　width　of　about　two　hundred　yards。

Here　it　ran　into　a　horse…shoe　shaped　piece　of　water　that　was　about

fifty　yards　in　breadth。　Four　of　the　guns　were　placed　round　the　bow　of

this　water；　but　on　its　farther　side；　in　such　a　position　that　the

pheasants　should　stream　over　them　to　yet　another　covert　behind　at　the

top　of　a　slope；　Van　Koop　and　I；　however；　were　ordered　to　take　our

places；　he　to　the　right　and　I　to　the　left；　about　seventy　yards　up　the

tongue　in　little　glades　in　the　woodland；　having　the　lake　to　our　right

and　our　left　respectively。　I　noticed　with　dismay　that　we　were　so　set

that　the　guns　below　us　on　its　farther　side　could　note　all　that　we　did

or　did　not　do；　also　that　a　little　band　of　watchers；　among　whom　I

recognized　my　friend　the　gunsmith；　were　gathered　in　a　place　where；

without　interfering　with　us；　they　could　see　the　sport。　On　our　way　to

the　boat；　however；　which　was　to　row　us　across　the　water；　an　incident

happened　that　put　me　in　very　good　spirits　and　earned　some　applause。



I　was　walking　with　Lord　Ragnall；　Scroope　and　Charles；　about　sixty

yards　clear　of　a　belt　of　tall　trees；　when　from　far　away　on　the　other

side　of　the　trees　came　a　cry　of　〃Partridges　over！〃　in　the　hoarse　voice

of　the　red…waistcoated　Jenkins；　who　was　engaged　in　superintending　the

driving　in　of　some　low　scrub　before　he　joined　his　army　at　the　top　of

the　covert。



〃Look　out；　Mr。　Quatermain；　they　are　coming　this　way；〃　said　Lord

Ragnall；　while　Charles　thrust　a　loaded　gun　into　my　hand。



Another　moment　and　they　appeared　over　the　tree…tops；　a　big　covey　of

them　in　a　long；　straggling　line；　travelling　at　I　know　not　what　speed；

for　a　fierce　gust　from　the　rising　gale　had　caught　them。　I　fired　at　the

first　bird；　which　fell　at　my　feet。　I　fired　again；　and　another　fell

behind　me。　I　snatched　up　the　second　gun　and　killed　a　third　as　it

passed　over　me　high　up。　Then；　wheeling　round；　I　covered　the　last

retreating　bird；　and　lo！　it　too　fell；　a　very　long　shot　indeed。



〃By　George！〃　said　Scroope；　〃I　never　saw　that　done　before；〃　while

Ragnall　stared　and　Charles　whistled。



But　now　I　will　tell　the　truth　and　expose　all　my　weakness。　The　second

bird　was　not　the　one　I　aimed　at。　I　was　behind　it　and　caught　that　which

followed。　And　in　my　vanity　I　did　not　own　up；　at　least　not　till　that

evening。



The　four　dead　partridgesthere　was　not　a　runner　among　themhaving

been　collected　amidst　many　congratulations；　we　went　on　and　were　punted

across　the　lake　to　the　covert。　As　we　entered　the　boat　I　observed　that；

in　addition　to　the　great　bags；　Charles　was　carrying　a　box　of

cartridges　under　his　arm；　and　asked　him　where　he　got　it　from。



He　replied；　from　Mr。　Pophamthat　was　the　gunsmith's　namewho　had

brought　it　with　him　in　case　I　should　not　have　enough。　I　made　no

remark；　but　as　I　knew　I　had　quite　half　of　my　cartridges　left　out　of

the　three　hundred　and　fifty　that　I　had　bought；　I　wondered　to　myself

what　kind　of　a　shoot　this　was　going　to　be。



Well；　we　took　up　our　stands；　and　while　we　were　doing　so；　suddenly　the

wind　increased　to　a　tearing　gale；　which　seemed　to　me　to　blow　from　all

points　of　the　compass　in　turn。　Rooks　flying　homewards；　and　pigeons

disturbed　by　the　beaters　were　swept　over　us　like　drifting　leaves；　wild

duck；　of　which　I　got　one；　went　by　like　arrows；　the　great　bare　oaks

tossed　their　boughs　and　groaned；　while　not　far　off　a　fir　tree　was

blown　down；　falling　with　a　splash　into　the　water。



〃It's　a　wild　afternoon；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　and　as　he　spoke　Van　Koop

came　from　his　stand；　looking　rath