28 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 



were with the poachers, turned to Hunt and inquired 

 in severe tones, "Is it true, Captain, that you had 

 a big revolver with you that night ? " — to which 

 query came the answer, " Yes, I had ; and I have 

 it now with me in Court, in exactly the same 

 state in which it was then." " Then, Captain Hunt," 

 replied the Fiscal, " I will ask you to produce it, 

 but pray be very careful how you handle a loaded 

 pistol." 



On hearing this. Hunt pulled from his pocket the 

 terrible weapon and carefully pointed it to the ceiling, 

 while the whole of the crowded court craned their 

 necks aloft to gaze at it, and were evidently much 

 struck by the size ; then, just as suppressed talk began 

 to make itself heard, Hunt pulled the trigger, when, 

 amidst roars of laughter, the barrel fell in two pieces at 

 right angles to the stock and a very pretty fan was seen 

 to hold them together, the whole thing being a Parisian 

 conceit. Needless to say, Hunt won his case, and the 

 poachers were rather heavily fined, and what was still 

 better, they came in for such an amount of chaflf that 



