Part 16 (1/2)

”Perhaps you won't want me any longer, as you have met Philip.”

”Oh, yes I do. He may not care to stay with me all the afternoon, as he has a headache.”

”Probably I shan't be with you more than half an hour,” said Philip.

”I'll walk a little way into the wood.”

”Come along, then.”

So the three pa.s.sed into the woods together, Congreve in the middle, with Philip on one side and Harry on the other.

Philip and Congreve engaged in conversation, the latter apparently forgetting that he had a gun on his shoulder. Harry, however, remembered that he was guide to a sportsman, and kept on the lookout for birds.

”Hus.h.!.+ There's a partridge,” he said, touching Congreve's arm and pointing to the bird.

James Congreve quickly brought his gun to rest and fired. He had very little skill, however, and the startled bird flew away, in less danger than if the gun had been in the hands of Harry.

”I didn't have time to take aim,” said Congreve, apologetically. ”Can you shoot?”

”A little,” answered Harry, modestly.

”If I had had the gun the bird wouldn't have got away,” said Philip, boastfully.

”Take it, then,” said Congreve.

”All right!”

So Philip took the gun and began to look out for birds.

He soon had an opportunity to show his skill. A bird was seen flying slowly through the air.

”There's your chance, Phil!” said Congreve, quickly.

Philip raised the gun awkwardly, and it went off in quite a different direction from the one contemplated. But, as luck would have it, a foolish crow got in the way just at the critical moment, and received the charge meant for another object.

”There; do you see that?” exclaimed Philip, triumphantly.

”You don't mean to say you intended to shoot that crow?” asked Congreve.

”Of course I did!” answered Philip shortly, determined to get the credit of his success.

Harry could not help smiling. ”What are you laughing at?” demanded Philip, scowling.

”At the mistake I made,” answered Harry, good-humoredly. ”I thought you were firing at the partridge.”

”You see you were mistaken,” said Philip, offensively.

”I see I was,” returned Harry, quietly.

He thought it was foolish to get angry about such a trifle.