higher one also, falling dead upon its dead mate!

Now, even from those Boers, who did not love to see an Englishman excel,
there broke a shout of acclamation. Never had they beheld such a shot
as this; nor in truth had I.

"Mynheer Retief," I said, "I gave you notice that I intended to try to
kill both of them, did I not?"

"You did. Allemachte! you did! But tell me, Allan Quatermain, are your
eye and hand quite human?"

"You must ask my father," I answered with a shrug as I sat myself down
upon my stool and mopped my brow.

The Boers came up with a rush, Marie flying ahead of them like a
swallow, and their stout womenfolk waddling behind, and formed a circle
round us, all talking at once. I did not listen to their conversation,
till I heard Pereira, who was engaged in some eye-play with Marie, say
in a loud voice:

"Yes, it was pretty, very pretty, but all the same, Uncle Retief, I
claim the match, as I shot six geese against five."

"Hans," I said, "bring my geese," and they were brought, each with a
neat hole through it, and laid down near those that Pereira had shot.
"Now," I said to Retief, "examine the wounds in these birds, and then
that on the second bird which the Heer Pereira killed when he brought
down two at once. I think it will be found that his bullet must have
splintered."