42 SPORTS AND ANECDOTES. 



he was born, he laid a bet with Mr. George Foljambe 

 and another gentleman of one hundred pounds that he 

 would kill twenty swallows flying with a ball. 



He says, " I had a very large castellated chateau 

 with five big turrets, which appeared to have been 

 built expressly for the accommodation of swallows ; 

 they were in thousands. I noticed that swallows 

 before entering their nest always paused for a second 

 or so with outspread wings, and offered a not very 

 difficult shot to a good pistol-shot, which I was. I 

 killed them all before breakfast." 



He further says, " I got a great deal of undeserved 

 merit as regards that match. It was not very difficult 

 for a good pistol-shot, provided he had the same 

 advantage I had." 



This is a very modest translation of the affair, but 

 no man ever did such a feat before or since, and it is 

 only justice to the performer to say that though a 

 capital rider, a capital sportsman in every way, and 

 quite first class where a gun or rifle was concerned, no 

 one ever heard Horatio Ross brag of his doings, and 

 though bold as a lion and crafty as a weasel, he never 

 talked about his " arts and sciences," but let other 

 people find them out. Every sportsman has heard of 

 the famous steeplechase between Clinker and Crasher, 



