marie-第12章

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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

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。〃