marie-第17章

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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

feet；　and　passed　over　not　more　than　thirty　yards　up；　an　easy　shot。　

Pereira　fired；　and　down　it　came　rather　slowly；　falling　a　hundred　yards

or　so　behind　him；　while　Retief　said：



〃One　for　our　side。〃



Pereira　loaded　again；　and　just　as　he　had　capped　his　rifle　three　more

geese；　also　flying　low；　came　over；　preceded　by　a　number　of　ducks；

passing　straight　above　us；　as　they　must　do　owing　to　the　shape　of　the　gap

between　the　land　waves　of　the　veld　above　through　which　they　flighted。　

Pereira　shot；　and　to　my　surprise；　the　second；　not　the　first；　bird　fell；

also　a　good　way　behind　him。



〃Did　you　shoot　at　that　goose；　or　the　other；　nephew？〃　asked　Retief。



〃At　that　one　for　sure；〃　he　answered　with　a　laugh。



〃He　lies；〃　muttered　the　Hottentot；　〃he　shot　at　the　first　and　killed　the

second。〃



〃Be　silent；〃　I　answered。　　〃Who　would　lie　about　such　a　thing？〃



Again　Pereira　loaded。　　By　the　time　that　he　was　ready　more　geese　were

approaching；　this　time　in　a　triangle　of　seven　birds；　their　leader　being

at　the　point　of　the　triangle；　which　was　flying　higher　than　those　that

had　gone　before。　　He　fired；　and　down　came　not　one　bird；　but　two；　namely；

the　captain　and　the　goose　to　the　right　of　and　a　little　behind　it。



〃Ah！　uncle；〃　exclaimed　Pereira；　〃did　you　see　those　birds　cross　each

other　as　I　pulled？　　That　was　a　lucky　one　for　me；　but　I　won't　count　the

second　if　the　Heer　Allan　objects。〃



〃No；　I　did　not；　nephew；〃　answered　Retief；　〃but　doubtless　they　must　have

done　so；　or　the　same　bullet　could　not　have　pierced　both。〃



Both　Hans　and　I　only　looked　at　each　other　and　laughed。　　Still　we　said

nothing。



From　the　spectators　under　the　cliff　there　came　a　murmur　of

congratulation　not　unmixed　with　astonishment。　　Again　Pereira　loaded；

aimed；　and　loosed　at　a　rather　high　gooseit　may　have　been　about　seventy

yards　in　the　air。　　He　struck　it　right　enough；　for　the　feathers　flew　from

its　breast；　but　to　my　astonishment　the　bird；　after　swooping　down　as

though　it　were　going　to　fall；　recovered　itself　and　flew　away　straight

out　of　sight。



〃Tough　birds；　these　geese！〃　exclaimed　Pereira。　　〃They　can　carry　as　much

lead　as　a　sea…cow。〃



〃Very　tough　indeed；〃　answered　Retief　doubtfully。　　〃Never　before　did　I

see　a　bird　fly　away　with　an　ounce　ball　through　its　middle。〃



〃Oh！　he　will　drop　dead　somewhere；〃　replied　Pereira　as　he　rammed　his

powder　down。



Within　four　minutes　more　Pereira　had　fired　his　two　remaining　shots；

selecting；　as　he　was　entitled　to　do；　low　and　easy　young　geese　that　came

over　him　slowly。　　He　killed　them　both；　although　the　last　of　them；　after

falling；　waddled　along　the　ground　into　a　tuft　of　high　grass。



Now　murmurs　of　stifled　applause　broke　from　the　audience；　to　which

Pereira　bowed　in　acknowledgment。



〃You　will　have　to　shoot　very　well；　Mynheer　Allan；〃　said　Retief　to　me；

〃if　you　want　to　beat　that。　　Even　if　I　rule　out　one　of　the　two　birds　that

fell　to　a　single　shot；　as　I　think　I　shall；　Hernan　has　killed　five　out　of

six；　which　can　scarcely　be　bettered。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃but；　mynheer；　be　so　good　as　to　have　those　geese

collected　and　put　upon　one　side。　　I　don't　want　them　mixed　up　with　mine；

if　I　am　lucky　enough　to　bring　any　down。〃



He　nodded；　and　some　Kaffirs　were　sent　to　bring　in　the　geese。　　Several　of

these；　I　noted；　were　still　flapping　and　had　to　have　their　necks　twisted；

but　at　the　time　I　did　not　go　to　look　at　them。　　While　this　was　being　done

I　called　to　Retief；　and　begged　him　to　examine　the　powder　and　bullets　I

was　about　to　use。



〃What's　the　good？〃　he　asked；　looking　at　me　curiously。　　〃Powder　is

powder；　and　a　bullet　is　a　bullet。〃



〃None；　I　dare　say。　　Still；　oblige　me　by　looking　at　them；　my　uncle。〃



Then　at　my　bidding　Hans　took　six　bullets　and　placed　them　in　his　hand；

begging　him　to　return　them　to　us　as　they　were　wanted。



〃They　must　be　a　great　deal　smaller　than　Hernan's；〃　said　Retief；　〃who；

being　stronger；　uses　a　heavier　gun。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered　briefly；　as　Hans　put　the　charge　of　powder　into　the

rifle；　and　drove　home　the　wad。　　Then；　taking　a　bullet　from　Retief's

hand；　he　rammed　that　down　on　to　the　top　of　it；　capped　the　gun；　and

handed　it　to　me。



By　now　the　geese　were　coming　thick；　for　the　flight　was　at　its　full。　

Only；　either　because　some　of　those　that　had　already　passed　had　sighted

the　Kaffirs　collecting　the　fallen　birds　and　risenan　example　which　the

others　noted　from　afar　and　followedor　because　in　an　unknown　way

warning　of　their　danger　had　been　conveyed　to　them；　they　were　flying

higher　and　faster　than　the　first　arrivals。



〃You　will　have　the　worst　of　it；　Allan；〃　said　Retief。　　〃It　should　have

been　shot　and　shot　about。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　I　answered；　〃but　that　can't　be　helped　now。〃



Then　I　rose　from　my　stool；　the　rifle　in　my　hand。　　I　had　not　long　to

wait；　for　presently　over　came　a　wedge　of　geese　nearly　a　hundred　yards

up。　　I　aimed　at　the　first　fellow；　holding　about　eight　yards　ahead　of　him

to　allow　for　his　pace；　and　pressed。　　Next　second　I　heard　the　clap　of　the

bullet；　but　alas！　it　had　only　struck　the　outstretched　beak；　of　which　a

small　portion　fell　to　the　ground。　　The　bird　itself；　after　wavering　a

second；　resumed　its　place　as　leader　of　the　squad　and　passed　away

apparently　unharmed。



〃Baas；　baas；〃　whispered　Hans　as　he　seized　the　rifle　and　began　to

re…load；　〃you　were　too　far　in　front。　　These　big　water…birds　do　not

travel　as　fast　as　the　rock　pigeons。〃



I　nodded；　wishing　to　save　my　breath。　　Then；　quivering　with　excitement；

for　if　I　missed　the　next　shot　the　match　appeared　to　be　lost；　presently　I

took　the　rifle　from　his　hand。



Scarcely　had　I　done　so　when　a　single　goose　came　over　quite　as　high　as

the　others　and　travelling　〃as　though　the　black　devil　had　kicked　it；〃　as

Retief　said。　　This　time　I　allowed　the　same　space　to　compensate　for　the

object's　increased　speed　and　pressed。



Down　it　came　like　a　stone；　falling　but　a　little　way　behind　me　with　its

head　knocked　off。



〃Baas；　baas；〃　whispered　Hans；　〃still　too　far　in　front。　　Why　aim　at　the

eye　when　you　have　the　whole　body？〃



Again　I　nodded；　and　at　the　same　time　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief。　　At　least

the　match　was　still　alive。　　Soon　a　large　flight　came　over；　mixed　up　with

mallard　and　widgeon。　　I　took　the　right…hand　angle　bird；　so　that　it　could

not　be　supposed　I　had　〃browned　the　lot；〃　as　here　in　England　they　say　of

one　who　fires　at　a　covey　and　not　at　a　particular　partridge。　　Down　he

came；　shot　straight　through　the　breast。　　Then　I　knew　that　I　had　got　my

nerve；　and　felt　no　more　fear。



To　cut　a　long　story　short；　although　two　of　them　were　extremely　difficult

and　high；　one　being；　I　should　say；　quite　a　hundred　and　twenty　yards

above　me；　and　the　other　by　no　means　easy；　I　killed　the　next　three　birds

one　after　the　other；　and　I　verily　believe　could　have　killed　a　dozen　more

without　a　miss；　for　now　I　was　shooting　as　I　had　never　shot　before。



〃Say；　nephew　Allan；〃　asked　Retief　curiously　in　the　pause　between　the

fifth　and　sixth　shots；　〃why　do　your　geese　fall　so　differently　to

Hernan's？〃



〃Ask　him！　don't　talk　to　me；〃　I　answered；　and　next　instant　brought　down

number　five；　the　finest　shot　of　the　lot。



A　sound　of　wonder　and　applause　came　from　all　the　audience；　and　I　saw

Marie　wave　a　white　handkerchief。



〃That's　the　end；〃　said　the　referee。



〃One　minute　before　you　stir；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　want　to　shoot　at　something

else　that　is　not　in　the　match；　just　to　see　if　I　can　kill　two　birds　with

one　bullet　like　the　Heer　Pereira。〃



He　granted　my　request　with　a　nod；　holding　up　his　hand　to　prevent　the

audience　from　moving；　and　bidding　Pereira；　who　tried　to　interrupt；　to　be

silent。



Now；　while　the　match　was　in　progress　I　had　noticed　two　falcons　about　the

size　of　the　British　peregrine　wheeling　round　and　round　high　over　the

kloof；　in　which　doubtless　they　bred；　a