A Sportsman at Large 189 



But now je reviens a mes moutons. The day before 

 Ted and I arrived at the sacred (the word " sacred " may 

 mean " sacrosanct," or it may signify " accursed " take 

 your choice !) spot, the Grand Prix du Casino, which ranks 

 with trap-shooters as the Derby does with racing men 

 what one may term the blue ribbon of the blue rocks had 

 been brought to a successful conclusion with the victory of 

 Harry Roberts, an Englishman born and bred. 



We were glad to hear this, and when the successful shooter 

 was pointed out to us in the rooms, we indulged in silent 

 hero-worship. 



It was not long before we were introduced to the victor, 

 whose name had been already engraved on the marble slabs, 

 among that of other " immortals " of many nations. 



This same Harry Roberts was a " personality " ! Rugged 

 of feature and careless in attire, he was full of bonhomie, 

 and had evidently drunk deep of the milk of human kindness 

 from his earliest infancy. He was a persistent and enthusiastic 

 pigeon shot, always steady and reliable and sometimes bril- 

 liant. He was a confirmed gambler, but having an intimate 

 knowledge of every move in connection with the pastime, 

 he was able to more than pay his way. In fact, it was sup- 

 posed that he made a very fair living by his skill as a shot 

 and his acumen as a speculator. Despite the fact of his 

 having the blood of thousands of innocent pigeons on his 

 hands, he was a tender-hearted lover of all birds, beasts and 

 fishes. He had studied their manners and customs meticu- 

 lously, and had thus stored up a fund of knowledge and 

 information which was unique. This love of the creatures 

 of the wild would seem to provide a paradox ; but all good 

 sportsmen will understand it as I did, for was I not tarred 

 with the same brush ? 



The artist who might be asked to draw a fancy portrait of 

 a pigeon-shooter would probably depict him as a sort of 

 monster, with the face of a Trotsky and a cloven hoof ; his 

 long, cruel claws dripping with the blood of his victims ; 

 but I can assure you that such a picture would be a gross 

 libel on the cult, which, jointly and severally, was in the 

 old days represented by some of the kindliest, gentlest and 



