his pipe, which had gone out.

Then Retief began again.

"What is it you were calling us to listen to, Mynheer Pereira? That
this Heer Allan Quatermain had offered to shoot you a match? Well, why
not? If he can hit Kaffirs running at him with spears, as he has done,
he may be able to hit other things also. You say that you won't rob him
of his money--no, it was his beautiful horse--because you have taken so
many prizes shooting at targets. But did _you_ ever hit a Kaffir
running at _you_ with an assegai, mynheer, you who live down there where
everything is safe? If so, I never heard of it."

Pereira answered that he did not understand me to propose a shooting
match at Kaffirs charging with assegais, but at something else--he knew
not what.

"Quite so," said Retief. "Well, Mynheer Allan, what is it that you do
propose?"

"That we should stand in the great kloof between the two _vleis_
yonder--the Heer Marais knows the place--when the wild geese flight over
an hour before sunset, and that he who brings down six of them in the
fewest shots shall win the match."

"If our guns are loaded with loopers that will not be difficult," said
Pereira.

"With loopers you would seldom kill a bird, mynheer," I replied, "for
they come over from seventy to a hundred yards up. No, I mean with