marie-第14节

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port　and　BurgundyI　found　myself　so　much　better　that　I　was　able　to　hop

about　the　place　upon　a　pair　of　crutches　which　Hans　improvised　for　me　out

of　Kaffir　sticks。　　Next　morning；　my　improvement　continuing　at　a　rapid

rate；　I　turned　my　attention　seriously　to　the　shooting　match；　for　which　I

had　but　five　days　to　prepare。



Now　it　chanced　that　some　months　before　a　young　Englishman　of　good

familyhe　was　named　the　Honourable　Vavasseur　Smythwho　had　accompanied

an　official　relative　to　the　Cape　Colony；　came　our　way　in　search　of

sport；　of　which　I　was　able　to　show　him　a　good　deal　of　a　humble　kind。　　He

had　brought　with　him；　amongst　other　weapons；　what　in　those　days　was

considered　a　very　beautiful　hair…triggered　small…bore　rifle　fitted　with

a　nipple　for　percussion　caps；　then　quite　a　new　invention。　　It　was　by　a

maker　of　the　name　of　J。　Purdey；　of　London；　and　had　cost　quite　a　large

sum　because　of　the　perfection　of　its　workmanship。　　When　the　Honourable

V。　Smythof　whom　I　have　never　heard　sincetook　his　leave　of　us　on　his

departure　for　England；　being　a　generous…hearted　young　fellow；　as　a

souvenir　of　himself；　he　kindly　presented　me　with　this　rifle；*　which　I

still　have。



＇*This　single…barrelled　percussion…cap　rifle　described　by　Allan

Quatermain；　which　figures　so　prominently　in　the　history　of　this　epoch　of

his　life；　has　been　sent　to　me　by　Mr。　Curtis；　and　is　before　me　as　I

write。　　It　was　made　in　the　year　1835　by　J。　Purdey；　of　314　1/2；　Oxford

Street；　London；　and　is　a　beautiful　piece　of　workmanship　of　its　kind。　

Without　the　ramrod；　which　is　now　missing；　it　weighs　only　5　lbs。　3　3/4

oz。　　The　barrel　is　octagonal；　and　the　rifled　bore；　designed　to　take　a

spherical　bullet；　is　1/2　in。　in　diameter。　　The　hammer　can　be　set　to

safety　on　the　half…cock　by　means　of　a　catch　behind　it。



Another　peculiarity　of　the　weapon；　one　that　I　have　never　seen　before；　is

that　by　pressing　on　the　back　of　the　trigger　the　ordinary　light　pull　of

the　piece　is　so　reduced　that　the　merest　touch　suffices　to　fire　it；　thus

rendering　it　hair…triggered　in　the　fullest　sense　of　the　word。



It　has　two　flap…sights　marked　for　150　and　200　yards；　in　addition　to　the

fixed　sight　designed　for　firing　at　100　yards。



On　the　lock　are　engraved　a　stag　and　a　doe；　the　first　lying　down　and　the

second　standing。



Of　its　sort　and　period；　it　is　an　extraordinarily　well…made　and　handy

gun；　finished　with　horn　at　the　end　of　what　is　now　called　the　tongue；　and

with　the　stock　cut　away　so　as　to　leave　a　raised　cushion　against　which

the　cheek　of　the　shooter　rests。



What　charge　it　took　I　do　not　know；　but　I　should　imagine　from　2　1/2　to　3

drachms　of　powder。　It　is　easy　to　understand　that　in　the　hands　of　Allan

Quatermain　this　weapon；　obsolete　as　it　is　to…day；　was　capable　of　great

things　within　the　limits　of　its　range；　and　that　the　faith　he　put　in　it

at　the　trial　of　skill　at　the　Groote　Kloof；　and　afterwards　in　the　fearful

ordeal　of　the　shooting　of　the　vultures　on　the　wing；　upon　the　Mount　of

Slaughter；　when　the　lives　of　many　hung　upon　his　marksmanship；　was　well

justified。　　This；　indeed；　is　shown　by　the　results　in　both　cases。



In　writing　of　this　rifle；　Messrs。　Purdey　informed　me　that　copper

percussion　caps　were　experimented　with　by　Colonel　Forsyth　in　1820；　and

that　their　firm　sold　them　in　1824；　at　a　cost　of　#1　15s。　per　1；000；

although　their　use　did　not　become　general　until　some　years　later。THE

EDITOR。＇



That　was　about　six　months　earlier　than　the　time　of　which　I　write；　and

during　those　months　I　had　often　used　this　rifle　for　the　shooting　of

game；　such　as　blesbuck　and　also　of　bustards。　　I　found　it　to　be　a　weapon

of　the　most　extraordinary　accuracy　up　to　a　range　of　about　two　hundred

yards；　though　when　I　rode　off　in　that　desperate　hurry　for　Maraisfontein

I　did　not　take　it　with　me　because　it　was　a　single　barrel　and　too　small

in　the　bore　to　load　with　loopers　at　a　pinch。　　Still；　in　challenging

Pereira；　it　was　this　gun　and　no　other　that　I　determined　to　use；　indeed；

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　al