the ivory child- 第4部分

I　also　reflected　for　a　moment；　knowing　that　the　man　had　something　up

his　sleeve。　Of　course；　I　could　refuse　and　make　a　scandal。　But　that　was

not　in　my　line；　and　would　not　bring　me　nearer　my　￡250；　which；　if　I

chanced　to　win；　might　find　its　way　back　to　me。



〃All　right；　done！〃　I　said。



〃What　is　your　bet；　Sir　Junius？〃　asked　Lord　Ragnall；　who　was

approaching　again。



〃It　is　rather　a　long　story；〃　he　answered；　〃but；　to　put　it　shortly；

years　ago；　when　I　was　travelling　in　Africa；　Mr。　Quatermain　and　I　had　a

dispute　as　to　a　sum　of　￡5　which　he　thought　I　owed　him；　and　to　save

argument　about　a　trifle　we　have　agreed　that　I　should　shoot　against　him

for　it　to…day。〃



〃Indeed；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall　rather　seriously；　for　I　could　see　that　he

did　not　believe　Van　Koop's　statement　as　to　the　amount　of　the　bet；

perhaps　he　had　heard　more　than　we　thought。　〃To　be　frank；　Sir　Junius；　I

don't　much　care　for　bettingfor　that's　what　it　comes　tohere。　Also　I

think　Mr。　Quatermain　said　yesterday　that　he　had　never　shot　pheasants

in　England；　so　the　match　seems　scarcely　fair。　However；　you　gentlemen

know　your　own　business　best。　Only　I　must　tell　you　both　that　if　money

is　concerned；　I　shall　have　to　set　someone　whose　decision　will　be　final

to　count　your　birds　and　report　the　number　to　me。〃



〃Agreed；〃　said　Van　Koop；　or；　rather；　Sir　Junius；　but　I　answered

nothing；　for；　to　tell　the　truth；　already　I　felt　ashamed　of　the　whole

affair。



As　it　happened；　Lord　Ragnall　and　I　walked　together　ahead　of　the

others；　to　the　first　covert；　which　was　half　a　mile　or　more　away。



〃You　have　met　Sir　Junius　before？〃　he　said　to　me　interrogatively。



〃I　have　met　Mr。　van　Koop　before；〃　I　answered；　〃about　twelve　years

since；　shortly　after　which　he　vanished　from　South　Africa；　where　he　was

a　well…known　and　very　successfulspeculator。〃



〃To　reappear　here。　Ten　years　ago　he　bought　a　large　property　in　this

neighbourhood。　Three　years　ago　he　became　a　baronet。〃



〃How　did　a　man　like　Van　Koop　become　a　baronet？〃　I　inquired。



〃By　purchase；　I　believe。〃



〃By　purchase！　Are　honours　in　England　purchased？〃



〃You　are　delightfully　innocent；　Mr。　Quatermain；　as　a　hunter　from

Africa　should　be；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　laughing。　〃Your　friend〃



〃Excuse　me；　Lord　Ragnall；　I　am　a　very　humble　person；　not　so　elevated；

indeed；　as　that　gamekeeper　of　yours；　therefore　I　should　not　venture　to

call　Sir　Junius；　late　Mr。　van　Koop；　my　friend；　at　least　in　earnest。〃



He　laughed　again。



〃Well；　the　individual　with　whom　you　make　bets　subscribed　largely　to

the　funds　of　his　party。　I　am　telling　you　what　I　know　to　be　true；

though　the　amount　I　do　not　know。　It　has　been　variously　stated　to　be

from　fifteen　to　fifty　thousand　pounds；　and；　perhaps　by　coincidence；

subsequently　was　somehow　created　a　baronet。〃



I　stared　at　him。



〃That's　all　the　story；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　don't　like　the　man　myself；　but

he　is　a　wonderful　pheasant　shot；　which　passes　him　everywhere。　Shooting

has　become　a　kind　of　fetish　in　these　parts；　Mr。　Quatermain。　For

instance；　it　is　a　tradition　on　this　estate　that　we　must　kill　more

pheasants　than　on　any　other　in　the　country；　and　therefore　I　have　to

ask　the　best　guns；　who　are　not　always　the　best　fellows。　It　annoys　me；

but　it　seems　that　I　must　do　what　was　done　before　me。〃



〃Under　those　circumstances　I　should　be　inclined　to　give　up　the　thing

altogether；　Lord　Ragnall。　Sport　as　sport　is　good；　but　when　it　becomes

a　business　it　grows　hateful。　I　know；　who　have　had　to　follow　it　as　a

trade　for　many　years。〃



〃That's　an　idea；〃　he　replied　reflectively。　〃Meanwhile；　I　do　hope　that

you　will　win　back　your￡5　from　Sir　Junius。　He　is　so　vain　that　I　would

gladly　give　￡50　to　see　you　do　so。〃



〃There　is　little　chance　of　that；〃　I　said；　〃for；　as　I　told　you；　I　have

never　shot　pheasants　before。　Still；　I'll　try；　as　you　wish　it。〃



〃That's　right。　And　look　here；　Mr。　Quatermain；　shoot　well　forward　of

them。　You　see；　I　am　venturing　to　advise　you　now；　as　you　advised　me

yesterday。　Shot　does　not　travel　so　fast　as　ball；　and　the　pheasant　is　a

bird　that　is　generally　going　much　quicker　than　you　think。　Now；　here　we

are。　Charles　will　show　you　your　stand。　Good　luck　to　you。〃



Ten　minutes　later　the　game　began　outside　of　a　long　covert；　all　the

seven　guns　being　posted　within　sight　of　each　other。　So　occupied　was　I

in　watching　the　preliminaries；　which　were　quite　new　to　me；　that　I

allowed　first　a　hare　and　then　a　hen　pheasant　to　depart　without　firing

at　them；　which　hen　pheasant；　by　the　way；　curved　round　and　was

beautifully　killed　by　Van　Koop；　who　stood　two　guns　off　upon　my　right。



〃Look　here；　Allan；〃　said　Scroope；　〃if　you　are　going　to　beat　your

African　friend　you　had　better　wake　up；　for　you　won't　do　it　by　admiring

the　scenery　or　that　squirrel　on　a　tree。〃



So　I　woke　up。　Just　at　that　moment　there　was　a　cry　of　〃cock　forward。〃　I

thought　it　meant　a　cock　pheasant；　and　was　astonished　when　I　saw　a

beautiful　brown　bird　with　a　long　beak　flitting　towards　me　through　the

tops　of　the　oak　trees。



〃Am　I　to　shoot　at　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Of　course。　It　is　a　woodcock；〃　answered　Scroope。



By　this　time　the　brown　bird　was　rocking　past　me　within　ten　yards。　I

fired　and　killed　it；　for　where　it　had　been　appeared　nothing　but　a

cloud　of　feathers。　It　was　a　quick　and　clever　shot；　or　so　I　thought。

But　when　Charles　stepped　out　and　picked　from　the　ground　only　a　beak

and　a　head；　a　titter　of　laughter　went　down　the　whole　line　of　guns　and

loaders。



〃I　say；　old　chap；〃　said　Scroope；　〃if　you　will　use　No。　3　shot；　let　your

birds　get　a　little　farther　off　you。〃



The　incident　upset　me　so　much　that　immediately　afterwards　I　missed

three　easy　pheasants　in　succession；　while　Van　Koop　added　two　to　his

bag。



Scroope　shook　his　head　and　Charles　groaned　audibly。　Now　that　I　was　not

in　competition　with　his　master　he　had　become　suddenly　anxious　that　I

should　win；　for　in　some　mysterious　way　the　news　of　that　bet　had

spread；　and　my　adversary　was　not　popular　amongst　the　keeper　class。



〃Here　you　come　again；〃　said　Scroope；　pointing　to　an　advancing

pheasant。



It　was　an　extraordinarily　high　pheasant；　flushed；　I　think；　outside　the

covert　by　a　stop；　so　high　that；　as　it　travelled　down　the　line；

although　three　guns　fired　at　it；　including　Van　Koop；　none　of　them

seemed　to　touch　it。　Then　I　fired；　and　remembering　Lord　Ragnall's

advice；　far　in　front。　Its　flight　changed。　Still　it　travelled　through

the　air；　but　with　the　momentum　of　a　stone　to　fall　fifty　yards　to　my

right；　dead。



〃That's　better！〃　said　Scroope；　while　Charles　grinned　all　over　his

round　face；　muttering：



〃Wiped　his　eye　that　time。〃



This　shot　seemed　to　give　me　confidence；　and　I　improved　considerably；

though；　oddly　enough；　I　found　that　it　was　the　high　and　difficult

pheasants　which　I　killed　and　the　easy　ones　that　I　was　apt　to　muff。　But

Van　Koop；　who　was　certainly　a　finished　artist；　killed　both。



At　the　next　stand　Lord　Ragnall；　who　had　been　observing　my　somewhat

indifferent　performance；　asked　me　to　stand　back　with　him　behind　the

other　guns。



〃I　see　the　tall　ones　are　your　line；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　said；　〃and　you

will　get　some　here。〃



On　this　occasion　we　were　placed　in　a　dip　between　two　long　coverts

which　lay　about　three　hundred　yards　apart。　That　which　was　being　beaten

proved　full　of　pheasants；　and　the　shooting　of　those　picked　guns　was

really　a　thing　to　see。　I　did　quite　well　here；　nearly；　but　not

altogether；　as　well　as　Lord　Ragnall　himself；　though　that　is　saying　a

great　deal；　for　he　was　a　lovely　shot。



〃Bravo！〃　he　said　at　the　end　of　the　beat。　〃I　believe　you　have　got　a

chance　of　winning　your　￡5；　after　all。〃



When；　however；　at　luncheon；　more　than　an　hour　later；　I　found　that　I

was　thirty　pheasants　behind　my　adversary；　I　shook　my　head；　and　so　did

everybody　else。　On　the　whole；　that　luncheon；　of　which　we　partook　in　a

keeper's　house；　was　a　very　pleasant　meal；　though　Van　Koop　talked　so

continuously　and　in　such　a　boastful　strain　that　I　saw　it　irritated　our

host　and　some　of　the　other　gentlemen；　who　were　very　pleasant　people。

At　last　he　began　to　patronize　me；　asking　me　how　I　had　been　getting　on

with　my　〃elephant…potting〃　of　late　years。



I　replied；　〃Fairly　well。〃



〃Then　you　should　tell　our　friends　some　of　your　famous　stories；　which　I

promise　I　won't　contradict；〃　he　said；　adding：　〃You　see；　they　are

different　from　us；　and　have　no　experience　of　big…game　shooting。〃



〃I　did　not　know　that　you　had　any；　either；　Sir　Junius；〃　I　answered；

nettled。　〃Indeed；　I　thought　I　remembered　your　telling　me　in　Africa

that　the　only　big　game　you　had　ever　shot　was　an　ox　sick　with　the　red…

water。　Anyway；　shooting　is　a　business　with　me；　not　an　amusement；　as　it

is　to　you；　and　I　do　not　talk　shop。〃



At　this　he　collapsed　amid　some　laughter；　after　which　Scroope；　the　most

loyal　of　friends；　began　to　repeat　exploits　of　mine　till　my　ears

tingled；　and　I　rose　and　went　outside　to　look　at　the　weather。



It　had　changed　very　much　during　luncheon。　The　fair　promise　of　the

morning　had　departed；　the　sky　was　overcast；　and　a　wind；　blowing　in

strong　gusts；　was　rising　rapidly；　driving　before　it　occasional

scurries　of　snow。



〃My　word；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　who　had　joined　me；　〃the　Lake　covert

that's　our　great　stand　here；　you　knowwill　take　some　shooting　this

afternoon。　We　ought　to　kill　seven　hundred　pheasants　in　it　with　this

team；　but　I　doubt　if　we　shall　get　five。　Now；　Mr。　Quatermain；　I　am

going　to　stand　Sir　Junius　Fortescue　and　you　back　in　the　covert；　where

you　will　have　the　best　of　it；　as　a　lot　of　pheasants　will　never　face

the　lake　against　this　wind。　What　is　more；　I　am　coming　with　you；　if　I

may；　as　six　guns　are　enough　for　this　beat；　and　I　don't　mean　to　shoot

any　more　to…day。〃



〃I　fear　that　you　will　be　disappointed；〃　I　said　nervously。



〃Oh；　no；　I　sha'n't；〃　he　answered。　〃I　tell　you　frankly　that　if　only　you

could　have　a　season's　practice；　in　my　opinion　you　would　make　the　best

pheasant　sh