The Ivory Child | Page 6

was too much for me. I stepped forward, raising my hat politely,
and said:
"Sir, forgive me for interrupting you, but you are not shooting at those
wood-pigeons in the right way. Although they seem to hover just
before they settle, they are dropping much faster than you think. Your
keeper was mistaken when he said that you knocked a feather out of the

tail of that last bird at which you fired two barrels. In both cases you
shot at least a foot above it, and what fell was a leaf from the ilex tree."
There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Charles, who
ejaculated in a thick voice:
"Well, of all the cheek!"
Lord Ragnall, however, for it was he, looked first angry and then
amused.
"Sir," he said, "I thank you for your advice, which no doubt is excellent,
for it is certainly true that I have missed every pigeon which I tried to
shoot with these confounded little rifles. But if you could demonstrate
in practice what you so kindly set out in precept, the value of your
counsel would be enhanced."
Thus he spoke, mimicking, I have no doubt (for he had a sense of
humour), the manner of my address, which nervousness had made
somewhat pompous.
"Give me the rifle," I answered, taking off my greatcoat.
He handed it me with a bow.
"Mind what you are about," growled Charles. "That there thing is full
cocked and 'air-triggered."
I withered, or, rather, tried to wither him with a glance, but this
unbelieving keeper only stared back at me with insolence in his round
and bird-like eyes. Never before had I felt quite so angry with a menial.
Then a horrible doubt struck me. Supposing I should miss! I knew very
little of the manner of flight of English wood-pigeons, which are not
difficult to miss with a bullet, and nothing at all of these particular
rifles, though a glance at them showed me that they were exquisite
weapons of their sort and by a great maker. If I muffed the thing now,
how should I bear the scorn of Charles and the polite amusement of his
noble master? Almost I prayed that no more pigeons would put in an

appearance, and thus that the issue of my supposed skill might be left in
doubt.
But this was not to be. These birds came from far in ones or twos to
search for their favourite food, and the fact that others had been scared
away did not cause them to cease from coming. Presently I heard
Charles mutter:
"Now, then, look out, guv'nor. Here's your chance of teaching his
lordship how to do it, though he does happen to be the best shot in
these counties."
While he spoke two pigeons appeared, one a little behind the other,
coming down very straight. As they reached the opening in the ilex
grove they hovered, preparing to alight, for of us they could see nothing,
one at a distance of about fifty and the other of, say, seventy yards
away. I took the nearest, got on to it, allowing for the drop and the
angle, and touched the trigger of the rifle, which fell to my shoulder
very sweetly. The bullet struck that pigeon on the crop, out of which
fell a shower of acorns that it had been eating, as it sank to the ground
stone dead. Number two pigeon, realizing danger, began to mount
upwards almost straight. I fired the second barrel, and by good luck
shot its head off. Then I snatched the other rifle, which Charles had
been loading automatically, from his outstretched hand, for at that
moment I saw two more pigeons coming. At the first I risked a difficult
shot and hit it far back, knocking out its tail, but bringing it, still
fluttering, to the ground. The other, too, I covered, but when I touched
the trigger there was a click, no more.
This was my opportunity of coming even with Charles, and I availed
myself of it.
"Young man," I said, while he gaped at me open-mouthed, "you should
learn to be careful with rifles, which are dangerous weapons. If you
give one to a shooter that is not loaded, it shows that you are capable of
anything."
Then I turned, and addressing Lord Ragnall, added:

"I must apologize for that third shot of mine, which was infamous, for I
committed a similar fault to that against which I warned you, sir, and
did not fire far enough ahead. However, it may serve to show your
attendant the difference between the tail of a pigeon and an oak leaf,"
and I pointed to one of the feathers of the poor bird, which was still
drifting to the ground.
"Well, if