GUN STORIES 269 



And, taking off his hat, " Mr Pelham " turned upon his 

 heel, leaving the stingy old squire speechless with rage 

 and mortification. 



Of Captain Ross's skill as a marksman, both with rifle 

 and pistol, there are many extraordinary stories, but 

 perhaps none more notable than the following, related 

 by an eye-witness in the year 1835: — 



" I saw him," he says, " hit a black wafer fixed on the 

 back of a card 150 times; he only missed the card twice 

 out of 300 shots at 14 yards. Calling on Captain Ross 

 one morning, I found him practising. He then presented 

 his pistol out of the drawing-room window and said, ' Now 

 you shall see me take the head off the figure on Barry 

 Smith's house.' This was a small gilt figure of Hope, 

 about five inches in length, placed between the windows to 

 show that the house was insured in the Hope Insurance 

 Office. He lodged the ball in the left breast. ' That 

 won't do,' said he ; ' I must have the head off.' He fired 

 again, and shot off the head. The distance across the 

 street was certainly not less than 15 yards, and Barry 

 Smith and a friend were sitting about three yards from 

 the figure. They showed no alarm on ascertaining 

 whence the shots proceeded, but took their seats again 

 quietly after the first one. 



