marie-第16章

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Slaughter；　when　the　lives　of　many　hung　upon　his　marksmanship；　was　well

justified。　　This；　indeed；　is　shown　by　the　results　in　both　cases。



In　writing　of　this　rifle；　Messrs。　Purdey　informed　me　that　copper

percussion　caps　were　experimented　with　by　Colonel　Forsyth　in　1820；　and

that　their　firm　sold　them　in　1824；　at　a　cost　of　#1　15s。　per　1；000；

although　their　use　did　not　become　general　until　some　years　later。THE

EDITOR。＇



That　was　about　six　months　earlier　than　the　time　of　which　I　write；　and

during　those　months　I　had　often　used　this　rifle　for　the　shooting　of

game；　such　as　blesbuck　and　also　of　bustards。　　I　found　it　to　be　a　weapon

of　the　most　extraordinary　accuracy　up　to　a　range　of　about　two　hundred

yards；　though　when　I　rode　off　in　that　desperate　hurry　for　Maraisfontein

I　did　not　take　it　with　me　because　it　was　a　single　barrel　and　too　small

in　the　bore　to　load　with　loopers　at　a　pinch。　　Still；　in　challenging

Pereira；　it　was　this　gun　and　no　other　that　I　determined　to　use；　indeed；

had　I　not　owned　it　I　do　not　think　that　I　should　have　ventured　on　the

match。



As　it　happened；　Mr。　Smyth　had　left　me　with　the　rifle　a　large　supply　of

specially　cast　bullets　and　of　the　new　percussion　caps；　to　say　nothing　of

some　very　fine　imported　powder。　　Therefore；　having　ammunition　in　plenty；

I　set　to　work　to　practise。　　Seating　myself　upon　a　chair　in　a　deep　kloof

near　the　station；　across　which　rock　pigeons　and　turtle　doves　were　wont

to　fly　in　numbers　at　a　considerable　height；　I　began　to　fire　at　them　as

they　flashed　over　me。



Now；　in　my　age；　I　may　say　without　fear　of　being　set　down　a　boaster；　that

I　have　one　gift；　that　of　marksmanship；　which；　I　suppose；　I　owe　to　some

curious　combination　of　judgment；　quickness　of　eye；　and　steadiness　of

hand。　　I　can　declare　honestly　that　in　my　best　days　I　never　knew　a　man

who　could　beat　me　in　shooting　at　a　living　object；　I　say　nothing　of

target　work；　of　which　I　have　little　experience。　　Oddly　enough；　also；　I

believe　that　at　this　art；　although　then　I　lacked　the　practice　which

since　has　come　to　me　in　such　plenty；　I　was　as　good　as　a　youth　as　I　have

ever　been　in　later　days；　and；　of　course；　far　better　than　I　am　now。　　This

I　soon　proved　upon　the　present　occasion；　for　seated　there　in　that　kloof；

after　a　few　trials；　I　found　that　I　could　bring　down　quite　a　number　of

even　the　swift；　straight…flying　rock　pigeons　as　they　sped　over　me；　and

this；　be　it　remembered；　not　with　shot；　but　with　a　single　bullet；　a　feat

that　many　would　hold　to　be　incredible。



So　the　days　passed；　and　I　practised；　every　evening　finding　me　a　little

better　at　this　terribly　difficult　sport。　　For　always　I　learned　more　as

to　the　exact　capacities　of　my　rifle　and　the　allowance　that　must　be　made

according　to　the　speed　of　the　bird；　its　distance；　and　the　complications

of　the　wind　and　of　the　light。　　During　those　days；　also；　I　recovered　so

rapidly　that　at　the　end　of　them　I　was　almost　in　my　normal　condition；　and

could　walk　well　with　the　aid　of　a　single　stick。



At　length　the　eventful　Thursday　came；　and　about　middayfor　I　lay　in　bed

late　that　morning　and　did　not　shootI　drove；　or；　rather；　was　driven；　in

a　Cape　cart　with　two　horses　to　the　place　known　as　Groote　Kloof　or　Great

Gully。　　Over　this　gorge　the　wild　geese　flighted　from　their　〃pans〃　or

feeding　grounds　on　the　high　lands　above；　to　other　pans　that　lay　some

miles　below；　and　thence；　I　suppose；　straight　out　to　the　sea　coast；

whence　they　returned　at　dawn。



On　arriving　at　the　mouth　of　Groote　Kloof　about　four　o'clock　in　the

afternoon；　my　father　and　I　were　astonished　to　see　a　great　number　of

Boers　assembled　there；　and　among　them　a　certain　sprinkling　of　their

younger　womankind；　who　had　come　on　horseback　or　in　carts。



〃Good　gracious！〃　I　said　to　my　father；　〃if　I　had　known　there　was　to　be

such　a　fuss　as　this　about　a　shooting　match；　I　don't　think　I　could　have

faced　it。〃



〃Hum；〃　he　answered；　〃I　think　there　is　more　in　the　wind　than　your　match。　

Unless　I　am　much　mistaken；　it　has　been　made　the　excuse　of　a　public

meeting　in　a　secluded　spot；　so　as　to　throw　the　Authorities　off　the

scent。〃



As　a　matter　of　fact；　my　father　was　quite　right。　　Before　we　arrived　there

that　day　the　majority　of　those　Boers；　after　full　and　long　discussion；

had　arranged　to　shake　the　dust　of　the　Colony　off　their　feet；　and　find　a

home　in　new　lands　to　the　north。



Presently　we　were　among　them；　and　I　noticed　that；　one　and　all；　their

faces　were　anxious　and　preoccupied。　　Pieter　Retief　caught　sight　of　me

being　helped　out　of　the　cart　by　my　father　and　Hans；　whom　I　had　brought

to　load；　and　for　a　moment　looked　puzzled。　　Evidently　his　thoughts　were

far　away。　　Then　he　remembered　and　exclaimed　in　his　jolly　voice：



〃Why！　here　is　our　little　Englishman　come　to　shoot　off　his　match　like　a

man　of　his　word。　　Friend　Marais；　stop　talking　about　your　losses〃this

in　a　warning　voice〃and　give　him　good　day。〃



So　Marais　came；　and　with　him　Marie；　who　blushed　and　smiled；　but　to　my

mind　looked　more　of　a　grown　woman　than　ever　before；　one　who　had　left

girlhood　behind　her　and　found　herself　face　to　face　with　real　life　and

all　its　troubles。　　Following　her　close；　very　close；　as　I　was　quick　to

notice；　was　Hernan　Pereira。　　He　was　even　more　finely　dressed　than　usual

and　carried　in　his　hand　a　beautiful　new；　single…barrelled　rifle；　also

fitted　to　take　percussion　caps；　but；　as　I　thought；　of　a　very　large　bore

for　the　purpose　of　goose　shooting。



〃So　you　have　got　well　again；〃　he　said　in　a　genial　voice　that　yet　did　not

ring　true。　　Indeed；　it　suggested　to　me　that　he　wished　I　had　done　nothing

of　the　sort。　　〃Well；　Mynheer　Allan；　here　you　find　me　quite　ready　to

shoot　your　head　off。〃　（He　didn't　mean　that；　though　I　dare　say　he　was。）　

〃I　tell　you　that　the　mare　is　as　good　as　mine；　for　I　have　been

practising；　haven't　I；　Marie？　as　the　'aasvogels'〃　（that　is；　vultures）

〃round　the　stead　know　to　their　cost。〃



〃Yes；　Cousin　Hernan；〃　said　Marie；　〃you　have　been　practising；　but　so；

perhaps；　has　Allan。〃



By　this　time　all　the　company　of　Boers　had　collected　round　us；　and　began

to　evince　a　great　interest　in　the　pending　contest；　as　was　natural　among

people　who　rarely　had　a　gun　out　of　their　hands；　and　thought　that　fine

shooting　was　the　divinest　of　the　arts。　　However；　they　were　not　allowed

to　stay　long；　as　the　Kaffirs　said　that　the　geese　would　begin　their

afternoon　flight　within　about　half　an　hour。　　So　the　spectators　were　all

requested　to　arrange　themselves　under　the　sheer　cliff　of　the　kloof；

where　they　could　not　be　seen　by　the　birds　coming　over　them　from　behind；

and　there　to　keep　silence。　　Then　Pereira　and　II　attended　by　my　loader；

but　he　alone；　as　he　said　a　man　at　his　elbow　would　bother　himand　with

us　Retief；　the　referee；　took　our　stations　about　a　hundred　and　fifty

yards　from　this　face　of　cliff。　　Here　we　screened　ourselves　as　well　as　we

could　from　the　keen　sight　of　the　birds　behind　some　tall　bushes　which

grew　at　this　spot。



I　seated　myself　on　a　camp…stool；　which　I　had　brought　with　me；　for　my　leg

was　still　too　weak　to　allow　me　to　stand　long；　and　waited。　　Presently

Pereira　said　through　Retief　that　he　had　a　favour　to　ask；　namely；　that　I

would　allow　him　to　take　the　first　six　shots；　as　the　strain　of　waiting

made　him　nervous。　　I　answered；　〃Certainly；〃　although　I　knew　well　that

the　object　of　the　request　was　that　he　believed　that　the　outpost

geese〃spy…geese〃　we　called　themwhich　would　be　the　first　to　arrive；

would　probably　come　over　low　down　and　slow；　whereas　those　that　followed；

scenting　danger；　might　fly　high　and　fast。　　This；　in　fact；　proved　to　be

the　case；　for　there　is　no　bird　more　clever　than　the　misnamed　goose。



When　we　had　waited　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　Hans　said：



〃Hist！　　Goose　comes。〃



As　he　spoke；　though　as　yet　I　could　not　see　the　bird；　I　heard　its　cry　of

〃Honk；　honk〃　and　the　swish　of　its　strong　wings。



Then　it　appeared；　an　old　spur…winged　gander；　probably　the　king　of　the

flock；　flying　so　low　that　it　only　cleared　the　cliff　edge　by　about　twenty