the ivory child- 第6部分

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　by　slapping　me　so　hard　upon　the　back　that　it

hurt；　and　nearly　caused　me　to　let　off　the　other　barrel　of　the　gun。

Charles　seemed　to　become　one　great　grin；　and　Lord　Ragnall；　with　a

brief　congratulatory　〃Never　enjoyed　a　shoot　so　much　in　my　life；〃

called　to　the　men　who　were　posted　behind　us　to　pick　up　all　the　dead

pheasants；　being　careful　to　keep　mine　apart　from　those　of　Sir　Junius

Fortescue。



〃You　should　have　a　hundred　and　forty…three　at　this　stand；〃　he　said；

〃allowing　for　every　possible　runner。　Charles　and　I　make　the　same

total。〃



I　remarked　that　I　did　not　think　there　were　many　runners；　as　the　No。　3

shot　had　served　me　very　well；　and　getting　into　the　boat　was　rowed　to

the　other　side；　where　I　received　more　congratulations。　Then；　as　all

further　shooting　was　out　of　the　question　because　of　the　weather；　we

walked　back　to　the　castle　to　tea。



As　I　emptied　my　cup　Lord　Ragnall；　who　had　left　the　room；　returned　and

asked　us　to　come　and　see　the　game。　So　we　went；　to　find　it　laid　out　in

endless　lines　upon　the　snow…powdered　grass　in　the　quadrangle　of　the

castle；　arranged　in　one　main　and　two　separate　lots。



〃Those　are　yours　and　Sir　Junius's；〃　said　Scroope。　〃I　wonder　which　of

you　has　won。　I'll　put　a　sovereign　on　you；　old　fellow。〃



〃Then　you're　a　donkey　for　your　pains；〃　I　answered；　feeling　vexed；　for

at　that　moment　I　had　forgotten　all　about　the　bet。



I　do　not　remember　how　many　pheasants　were　killed　altogether；　but　the

total　was　much　smaller　than　had　been　hoped　for；　because　of　the　gale。



〃Jenkins；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall　presently　to　Red　Waistcoat；　〃how　many

have　you　to　the　credit　of　Sir　Junius　Fortescue？〃



〃Two　hundred　and　seventy…seven；　my　lord；　twelve　hares；　two　woodcocks；

and　three　pigeons。〃



〃And　how　many　to　that　of　Mr。　Quatermain？〃　adding：　〃I　must　remind　you

both；　gentlemen；　that　the　birds　have　been　picked　as　carefully　as

possible　and　kept　unmixed；　and　therefore　that　the　figures　given　by

Jenkins　must　be　considered　as　final。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　I　answered；　but　Van　Koop　said　nothing。　Then；　while　we　all

waited　anxiously；　came　the　amazing　answer：



〃Two　hundred　and　seventy…seven　pheasants；　my　lord；　same　number　as

those　of　Sir　Junius；　Bart。；　fifteen　hares；　three　pigeons；　four

partridges；　one　duck；　and　a　beakI　mean　a　woodcock。〃



〃Then　it　seems　you　have　won　your　￡5；　Mr。　Quatermain；　upon　which　I

congratulate　you；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall。



〃Stop　a　minute；〃　broke　in　Van　Koop。　〃The　bet　was　as　to　pheasants；　the

other　things　don't　count。〃



〃I　think　the　term　used　was　'birds；'〃　I　remarked。　〃But　to　be　frank；

when　I　made　it　I　was　thinking　of　pheasants；　as　no　doubt　Sir　Junius　was

also。　Therefore；　if　the　counting　is　correct；　there　is　a　dead　heat　and

the　wager　falls　through。〃



〃I　am　sure　we　all　appreciate　the　view　you　take　of　the　matter；〃　said

Lord　Ragnall；　〃for　it　might　be　argued　another　way。　In　these

circumstances　Sir　Junius　keeps　his　￡5　in　his　pocket。　It　is　unlucky　for

you；　Quatermain；〃　he　added；　dropping　the　〃mister；〃　〃that　the　last　high

pheasant　you　shot　can't　be　found。　It　fell　into　the　lake；　you　remember；

and；　I　suppose；　swam　ashore　and　ran。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　replied；　〃especially　as　I　could　have　sworn　that　it　was　quite

dead。〃



〃So　could　I；　Quatermain；　but　the　fact　remains　that　it　isn't　there。〃



〃If　we　had　all　the　pheasants　that　we　think　fall　dead　our　bags　would　be

much　bigger　than　they　are；〃　remarked　Van　Koop；　with　a　look　of　great

relief　upon　his　face；　adding　in　his　horrid；　patronizing　way：　〃Still；

you　shot　uncommonly　well；　Quatermain。　I'd　no　idea　you　would　run　me　so

close。〃



I　felt　inclined　to　answer；　but　didn't。　Only　Lord　Ragnall　said：



〃Mr。　Quatermain　shot　more　than　well。　His　performance　in　the　Lake

covert　was　the　most　brilliant　that　I　have　ever　seen。　When　you　went　in

there　together；　Sir　Junius；　you　were　thirty　ahead　of　him；　and　you

fired　seventeen　more　cartridges　at　the　stand。〃



Then；　just　as　we　turned　to　go；　something　happened。　The　round…eyed

Charles　ran　puffing　into　the　quadrangle；　followed　by　another　man　with

a　dog；　who　had　been　specially　set　to　pick　my　birds；　and　carrying　in

his　hand　a　much…bedraggled　cock　pheasant　without　a　tail。



〃I've　got　him；　my　lord；〃　he　gasped；　for　he　had　run　very　fast；　〃the

little　gent'sI　mean　that　which　he　killed　in　the　clouds　with　the　last

shot　he　fired。　It　had　gone　right　down　into　the　mud　and　stuck　there。

Tom　and　me　fished　him　up　with　a　pole。〃



Lord　Ragnall　took　the　bird　and　looked　at　it。　It　was　almost　cold；　but

evidently　freshly　killed；　for　the　limbs　were　quite　flexible。



〃That　turns　the　scale　in　favour　of　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　said；　〃so；　Sir

Junius；　you　had　better　pay　your　money　and　congratulate　him；　as　I　do。〃



〃I　protest；〃　exclaimed　Van　Koop；　looking　very　angry　and　meaner　than

usual。　〃How　am　I　to　know　that　this　was　Mr。　Quatermain's　pheasant？　The

sum　involved　is　more　than　￡5　and　I　feel　it　is　my　duty　to　protest。〃



〃Because　my　men　say　so；　Sir　Junius；　moreover；　seeing　the　height　from

which　the　bird　fell；　their　story　is　obviously　true。〃



Then　he　examined　the　pheasant　further；　pointing　out　that　it　appeared

to　have　only　one　wounda　shot　through　the　throat　almost　exactly　at

the　root　of　the　beak；　of　which　shot　there　was　no　mark　of　exit。　〃What

sized　shot　were　you　using；　Sir　Junius？〃　he　asked。



〃No。　4　at　the　last　stand。〃



〃And　you　were　using　No。　3；　Mr。　Quatermain。　Now；　was　any　other　gun

using　No。　3？〃



All　shook　their　heads。



〃Jenkins；　open　that　bird's　head。　I　think　the　shot　that　killed　it　will

be　found　in　the　brain。〃



Jenkins　obeyed；　using　a　penknife　cleverly　enough。　Pressed　against　the

bone　of　the　skull　he　found　the　shot。



〃No。　3　it　is；　sure　enough；　my　lord；〃　he　said。



〃You　will　agree　that　settles　the　matter；　Sir　Junius；〃　said　Lord

Ragnall。　〃And　now；　as　a　bet　has　been　made　here　it　had　better　be　paid。〃



〃I　have　not　enough　money　on　me；〃　said　Van　Koop