I nodded, wishing to save my breath. Then, quivering with excitement,
for if I missed the next shot the match appeared to be lost, presently I
took the rifle from his hand.

Scarcely had I done so when a single goose came over quite as high as
the others and travelling "as though the black devil had kicked it," as
Retief said. This time I allowed the same space to compensate for the
object's increased speed and pressed.

Down it came like a stone, falling but a little way behind me with its
head knocked off.

"Baas, baas," whispered Hans, "still too far in front. Why aim at the
eye when you have the whole body?"

Again I nodded, and at the same time heaved a sigh of relief. At least
the match was still alive. Soon a large flight came over, mixed up with
mallard and widgeon. I took the right-hand angle bird, so that it could
not be supposed I had "browned the lot," as here in England they say
of one who fires at a covey and not at a particular partridge. Down he
came, shot straight through the breast. Then I knew that I had got my
nerve, and felt no more fear.

To cut a long story short, although two of them were extremely difficult
and high, one being, I should say, quite a hundred and twenty yards
above me, and the other by no means easy, I killed the next three birds
one after the other, and I verily believe could have killed a dozen more
without a miss, for now I was shooting as I had never shot before.

"Say, nephew Allan," asked Retief curiously in the pause between
the fifth and sixth shots, "why do your geese fall so differently to
Hernan's?"

"Ask him! don't talk to me," I answered, and next instant brought down
number five, the finest shot of the lot.

A sound of wonder and applause came from all the audience, and I saw
Marie wave a white handkerchief.

"That's the end," said the referee.

"One minute before you stir," I answered. "I want to shoot at something
else that is not in the match, just to see if I can kill two birds with
one bullet like the Heer Pereira."

He granted my request with a nod, holding up his hand to prevent the
audience from moving, and bidding Pereira, who tried to interrupt, to be
silent.

Now, while the match was in progress I had noticed two falcons about
the size of the British peregrine wheeling round and round high over the
kloof, in which doubtless they bred, apparently quite undisturbed by
the shooting. Or, perhaps, they had their eyes upon some of the fallen