ps foolish impulse, I said:

"Lord Ragnall, this cheque is for a debt which years ago I wrote off
as lost. At luncheon to-day you were talking of a Cottage Hospital for
which you are trying to get up an endowment fund in this neighbourhood,
and in answer to a question from you Sir Junius Fortescue said that he
had not as yet made any subscription to its fund. Will you allow me to
hand you Sir Junius's subscription--to be entered in his name, if you
please?" And I passed him the cheque, which was drawn to myself or
bearer.

He looked at the amount, and seeing that it was not L5, but L250,
flushed, then asked:

"What do you say to this act of generosity on the part of Mr.
Quatermain, Sir Junius?"

There was no answer, because Sir Junius had gone. I never saw him
again, for years ago the poor man died quite disgraced. His passion for
semi-fraudulent speculations reasserted itself, and he became a bankrupt
in conditions which caused him to leave the country for America, where
he was killed in a railway accident while travelling as an immigrant. I
have heard, however, that he was not asked to shoot at Ragnall any more.

The cheque was passed to the credit of the Cottage Hospital, but not, as
I had requested, as a subscription from Sir Junius Fortescue. A couple
of years later, indeed, I learned that this sum of money was used to
build a little room in that institution to accommodate sick children,
which room was named the Allan Quatermain ward.

Now, I have told this story of that December shoot because it was the
beginning of my long and close friendship with Ragnall.

When he found that Van Koop had gone away without saying good-bye, Lord
Ragnall made no remark. Only he took my hand and shook it.

I have only to add that, although, except for the element of competition
which entered into it, I enjoyed this day's shooting very much indeed,
when I came to count up its cost I felt glad that I had not been
asked to any more such entertainments. Here it is, taken from an old
note-book:

Cartridges, including those not used and given to Charles L4 0 0
Game License 3 0 0
Tip to Red Waistcoat (keeper) 2 0 0
Tip to Charles 0 10 0
Tip to man who helped Charles to find pheasant 0 5 0
Tip to man who collected pheasants behind me 0 10 0
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