Part 10 (2/2)
”Yes, he's hit,” he said decidedly ”A fine buck too He h They're tough as copper-wire We'd better sing out to Piet to bring on the horses, and try and keep hi bucks had now become mere specks, as, their sta down the mountain-side more than half a mile away
”Look there, Suffield,” went on Roden, still shading his eyes; ”there are only the five ewes Your ram's hit, and can't keep up, or else has split off of his own accord Anyway, he's hit, and will probably lie up so the base of the iron wall, which seeirdle theable to take care of herself was put to a very real and practical test, for the ground was rough and stony and the slope here and there dangerously steep
Suddenly an aniht in front of them, apparently out of the very rocks, at about a hundred yards
”That's hi past his coet in a final shot But this was not so easy, for a full-grown rhybok ram, even ounded, is first-rate at; and this one was no exception to the rule, for he went so well and dodged so craftily behind every stone and tuft of grass that his pursuer would have to shoot hi this, opened fire hastily, and of courseno effort to continue the pursuit
But the quarry here suddenly altered its tactics Possibly suspecting danger in front, it turned suddenly, and doubling, shot down the steep slope at lightning speed, and at right angles to its for out a heavy report at soh in the air, then, turning a couple of somersaults, rolled a score of yards farther, and lay stone dead
”By Jove, Musgrave, but you can shoot!” cried Suffield, as theylike an express train _Allae you that shot”
”He's yours, anyhow First blood, you know”
They exah the centre of the heart, but the first wound would have sickened anything less tenacious of life The bullet had struck far back in the flank, passing through the ani the after-rider to perforether with the first one, which was already there, theycorner under the rocks for lunch
”We haven't done badly so far,” quoth Suffield, with a sandwich in one hand and a flask in the other
”We et one more,” said Roden, ”or rather, you must That'll exactly 'tie' the shoot; one and a half apiece”
”Well, and have I been so dreadfully in the way, Mr Musgrave?” said Mona
”I aency, Miss Ridsdale”
”Not in words, perhaps; but you looked so glu, that, like the pack of cards instead of the Testament in the wicked conscript's pocket, which turned the fatal bullet, it did just as well”
”Did I? If so, it was inadvertently But I daresayme in advance over that baboon I was destined to ht account for it”
The fact was that, however dubious had been his reception of the said announcement, Roden was in his heart of hearts conscious that the speaker's presence with the a drawback, had constituted rather an attraction than otherwise Indeed, he was surprised to find how much so When Mona Ridsdale chose to lay herself out to ood horsewoman, she looked splendidly well in the saddle, the well-fitting riding habit setting off the curves and proportions of her e Moreover, she was in bright spirits, and to-day had laid herself out to be thoroughly companionable, and, to do her justice, had well succeeded; and round too rough, or a dark, haunting terror of her saddle turning had smote her, she had ht be construed into an appeal for consideration or aid
She had even been successful beyond her hopes, for Roden, silently observant, had not suffered this to escape hin thereof So the trio, as they sat there under the cliff, lunching upon sandwiches in true sportsmanlike fashi+on, with a vast panoray, turret-like surassy slope, spread out beneath and around for fiftybreeze of seven thousand feet above sea-level te sunshi+ne which enveloped them, felt on excellent terms with each other and all the world
”The plan now,” said Suffield, when they had taken it easy long enough, ”will be to separate and go right round the _berg_ It is lying under the _krantz_ we shall find the bucks, if anywhere”
”Where does my part come in in that little scheme, Charlie?” said Mona
”Who am I to inflict myself upon?”
”Upon lance at hih to see if he were in earnest, and her heart beat quick This time she was sure that no dubiousness lurked beneath his tone
”Just as you like,” she rejoined; for her, quite subduedly Then Piet, the after-rider, having received his instructions--viz, to start off homeith the two bucks already slain--they separated accordingly