the ivory child-第4节

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and　I　was　sure　that　I　could　not　be　mistaken　in　this　instance。　That

mean　appearance；　those　small；　shifty　grey　eyes；　that　red；　pointed　nose

could　belong　to　nobody　except　Van　Koop；　so　famous　in　his　day　in　South

Africa　in　connexion　with　certain　gigantic　and　most　successful　frauds

that　the　law　seemed　quite　unable　to　touch；　of　which　frauds　I　had　been

one　of　the　many　victims　to　the　extent　of　￡250；　a　large　sum　for　me。



The　last　time　we　met　there　had　been　a　stormy　scene　between　us；　which

ended　in　my　declaring　in　my　wrath　that　if　I　came　across　him　on　the

veld　I　should　shoot　him　at　sight。　Perhaps　that　was　one　of　the　reasons

why　Mr。　van　Koop　vanished　from　South　Africa；　for　I　may　add　that　he　was

a　cur　of　the　first　water。　I　believe　that　he　had　only　just　entered　the

room；　having　driven　over　from　wherever　he　lived　at　some　distance　from

Ragnall。　At　any　rate；　he　knew　nothing　of　my　presence　at　this　shoot。

Had　he　known　I　am　quite　sure　that　he　would　have　been　absent。　He

turned；　and　seeing　me；　ejaculated：　〃Allan　Quatermain；　by　heaven！〃

beneath　his　breath；　but　in　such　a　tone　of　astonishment　that　it

attracted　the　attention　of　Lord　Ragnall；　who　was　standing　near。



〃Yes；　Mr。　van　Koop；〃　I　answered　in　a　cheerful　voice；　〃Allan

Quatermain；　no　other；　and　I　hope　you　are　as　glad　to　see　me　as　I　am　to

see　you。〃



〃I　think　there　is　some　mistake；〃　said　Lord　Ragnall；　staring　at　us。

〃This　is　Sir　Junius　Fortescue；　who　used　to　be　Mr。　Fortescue。〃



〃Indeed；〃　I　replied。　〃I　don't　know　that　I　ever　remember　his　being

called　by　that　particular　name；　but　I　do　know　that　we　are　old

friends。〃



Lord　Ragnall　moved　away　as　though　he　did　not　wish　to　continue　the

conversation；　which　no　one　else　had　overheard；　and　Van　Koop　sidled　up

to　me。



〃Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃circumstances　have　changed

with　me　since　last　we　met。〃



〃So　I　gather；〃　I　replied；　〃but　mine　have　remained　much　the　same；　and

if　it　is　convenient　to　you　to　repay　me　that　￡250　you　owe　me；　with

interest；　I　shall　be　much　obliged。　If　not；　I　think　I　have　a　good　story

to　tell　about　you。〃



〃Oh；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　answered　with　a　sort　of　smile　which　made　me

feel　inclined　to　kick　him；　〃you　know　I　dispute　that　debt。〃



〃Do　you？〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Well；　perhaps　you　will　dispute　the　story　also。

But　the　question　is；　will　you　be　believed　when　I　give　the　proofs？〃



〃Ever　heard　of　the　Statute　of　Limitations；　Mr。　Quatermain？〃　he　asked

with　a　sneer。



〃Not　where　character　is　concerned；〃　I　replied　stoutly。　〃Now；　what　are

you　going　to　do？〃



He　reflected　for　a　moment；　and　answered：



〃Look　here；　Mr。　Quatermain；　you　were　always　a　bit　of　a　sportsman；　and

I'll　make　you　an　offer。　If　I　kill　more　birds　than　you　do　to…day；　you

shall　promise　to　hold　your　tongue　about　my　affairs　in　South　Africa；

and　if　you　kill　more　than　I　do；　you　shall　still　hold　your　tongue；　but

I　will　pay　you　that　￡250　and　interest　for　six　years。〃



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