Part 4 (1/2)
”Too far--no use!” said Lord Ragnall, as I lifted the gun
Still, I fired, holding I know not howwith a reat distance behind us The shot was so re most of the beaters, who had passed us by now, uttered a cheer, and the red-waistcoated old Jenkins, who had stopped by us, remarked: ”Well, bust ry by slapping me so hard upon the back that it hurt, and nearly caused un Charles seenall, with a brief congratulatory ”Never enjoyed a shoot so much in my life,” called to the men ere posted behind us to pick up all the dead pheasants, being careful to keep mine apart from those of Sir Junius Fortescue
”You should have a hundred and forty-three at this stand,” he said, ”allowing for every possible runner Charles and I make the same total”
I remarked that I did not think there were etting into the boat was rowed to the other side, where I receivedwas out of the question because of the weather, alked back to the castle to tea
As I enall, who had left the rooame So ent, to find it laid out in endless lines upon the snodered grass in the quadrangle of the castle, arranged in one main and two separate lots
”Those are yours and Sir Junius's,” said Scroope ”I wonder which of you has won I'll put a sovereign on you, old fellow”
”Then you're a donkey for your pains,” I answered, feeling vexed, for at that otten all about the bet
I do not reether, but the total was ale
”Jenkins,” said Lord Ragnall presently to Red Waistcoat, ”how many have you to the credit of Sir Junius Fortescue?”
”Two hundred and seventy-seven, eons”
”And how : ”I entlemen, that the birds have been picked as carefully as possible and kept univen by Jenkins must be considered as final”
”Quite so,” I answered, but Van Koop said nothing Then, while we all waited anxiously, ca answer:
”Two hundred and seventy-seven pheasants, my lord, same nueons, four partridges, one duck, and a beak--I mean a woodcock”
”Then it seeratulate you,” said Lord Ragnall
”Stop a minute,” broke in Van Koop ”The bet was as to pheasants; the other things don't count”
”I think the term used was 'birds,'” I re of pheasants, as no doubt Sir Junius was also
Therefore, if the counting is correct, there is a dead heat and the wager falls through”
”I am sure we all appreciate the view you take of the ued another way In these circumstances Sir Junius keeps his 5 in his pocket It is unlucky for you, Quater the ”h pheasant you shot can't be found It fell into the lake, you remember, and, I suppose, swam ashore and ran”
”Yes,” I replied, ”especially as I could have sworn that it was quite dead”
”So could I, Quatermain; but the fact remains that it isn't there”