rifles."

"Allemachte!" broke in a Boer; "you will want plenty of ammunition to
hit a goose at that height with a bullet."

"That is my offer," I said, "to which I add this, that when twenty shots
have been fired by each man, he who has killed the most birds wins, even
if he has not brought down the full six. Does the Heer Pereira accept?
If so, I will venture to match myself against him, although he has won
so many prizes."

The Heer Pereira seemed extremely doubtful; so doubtful, indeed, that
the Boers began to laugh at him. In the end he grew rather angry, and
said that he was willing to shoot me at bucks or swallows, or fireflies,
or anything else I liked.

"Then let it be at geese," I answered, "since it is likely to be
sometime before I am strong enough to ride after buck or other wild
things."'

So the terms of the match were formally written down by Marie, as my
father, although he took a keen sporting interest in the result, would
have nothing to do with what he called a "wager for money," and, except
myself, there was no one else present with sufficient scholarship to pen
a long document. Then we both signed them, Hernan Pereira not very
willingly, I thought; and if my recovery was sufficiently rapid, the
date was fixed for that day week. In case of any disagreement, the Heer
Retief, who was staying at Maraisfontein, or in its neighbourhood, for a
while, was appointed referee and stakeholder. It was also arranged that
neither of us should visit the appointed place, or shoot at the geese