the ivory child-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　rather　scared；　and　suggested　that　the

shoot　should　be　given　up。



Lord　Ragnall　asked　me　what　I　wished　to　do。　I　replied　that　I　would

rather　go　on；　but　that　I　was　in　his　hands。



〃I　think　we　are　fairly　safe　in　these　open　places；　Sir　Junius；〃　he

said；　〃and　as　the　pheasants　have　been　so　much　disturbed　already；　it

does　not　much　matter　if　they　are　blown　about　a　bit。　But　if　you　are　of

another　opinion；　perhaps　you　had　better　get　out　of　it　and　stand　with

the　others　over　the　lake。　I'll　send　for　my　guns　and　take　your　place。〃



On　hearing　this　Van　Koop　changed　his　mind　and　said　that　he　would　go

on。



So　the　beat　began。　At　first　the　wind　blew　from　behind　us；　and

pheasants　in　increasing　numbers　passed　over　our　heads；　most　of　them

rather　low；　to　the　guns　on　the　farther　side　of　the　water；　who；　skilled

though　they　were；　did　not　make　very　good　work　with　them。　We　had　been

instructed　not　to　fire　at　birds　going　forward；　so　I　let　these　be。　Van

Koop；　however；　did　not　interpret　the　order　in　the　same　spirit；　for　he

loosed　at　several；　killing　one　or　two　and　missing　others。



〃That　fellow　is　no　sportsman；〃　I　heard　Lord　Ragnall　remark。　〃I　suppose

it　is　the　bet。〃



Then　he　sent　Charles　to　ask　him　to　desist。



Shortly　after　this　the　gale　worked　round　to　the　north　and　settled

there；　blowing　with　ever…increasing　violence。　The　pheasants；　however；

still　flew　forward　in　the　shelter　of　the　trees；　for　they　were　making

for　the　covert　on　the　hill；　where　they　had　been　bred。　But　when　they

got　into　the　open　and　felt　the　full　force　of　the　wind；　quite　four　out

of　six　of　them　turned　and　came　back　at　a　most　fearful　pace；　many　so

high　as　to　be　almost　out　of　shot。



For　the　next　three…quarters　of　an　hour　or　moreas　I　think　I　have

explained；　the　beat　was　a　very　long　oneI　had　such　covert　shooting　as

I　suppose　I　shall　never　see　again。　High　above　those　shrieking　trees；

or　over　the　lake　to　my　left；　flashed　the　wind…driven　pheasants　in　an

endless　procession。　Oddly　enough；　I　found　that　this　wild　work　suited

me；　for　as　time　went　on　and　the　pheasants　grew　more　and　more

impossible；　I　shot　better　and　better。　One　after　another　down　they　came

far　behind　me　with　a　crash　in　the　brushwood　or　a　splash　in　the　lake；

till　the　guns　grew　almost　too　hot　to　hold。　There　were　so　many　of　them

that　I　discovered　I　could　pick　my　shots；　also　that　nine　out　of　ten

were　caught　by　the　wind　and　curved　at　a　certain　angle；　and　that　the

time　to　fire　was　just　before　they　took　the　curve。　The　excitement　was

great　and　the　sport　splendid；　as　anyone　will　testify　who　has　shot

December　pheasants　breaking　back　over　the　covert　and　in　a　tearing

gale。　Van　Koop　also　was　doing　very　well；　but　the　guns　in　front　got

comparatively　little　shooting。　They　were　forced　to　stand　there；　poor

fellows；　and　watch　our　performance　from　afar。



As　the　thing　drew　towards　an　end　the　birds　came　thicker　and　thicker；

and　I　shot；　as　I　have　said；　better　and　better。　This　may　be　judged　from

the　fact　that；　notwithstanding　their　height　and　tremendous　pace；　I

killed　my　last　thirty　pheasants　with　thirty…five　cartridges。　The　final

bird　of　all；　a　splendid　cock；　appeared　by　himself　out　of　nothingness

when　we　thought　that　all　was　done。　I　think　it　must　have　been　flushed

from　the　covert　on　the　hill；　or　been　turned　back　just　as　it　reached　it

by　the　resistless　strength　of　the　storm。　Over　it　came；　so　high　above

us　that　it　looked　quite　small　in　the　dark　snow…scud。



〃Too　farno　use！〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　as　I　lifted　the　gun。



Still；　I　fired；　holding　I　know　not　how　much　in　front；　and　lo！　that

pheasant　died　in　mid　air；　falling　with　a　mighty　splash　near　the　bank

of　the　lake；　but　at　a　great　distance　behind　us。　The　shot　was　so

remarkable　that　everyone　who　saw　it；　including　most　of　the　beaters；

who　had　passed　us　by　now；　uttered　a　cheer；　and　the　red…waistcoated　old

Jenkins；　who　had　stopped　by　us；　remarked：　〃Well；　bust　me　if　that

bain't　a　master　one！〃



Scroope　made　me　angry