A Sportsman at Large 145 



the eleventh round, had only one " zero " to their respective 

 discredits. We agreed to save stakes, and then to shoot 

 off for third prize. As regards myself, reaction had set in. 

 The demonstrative condolences of my friends of all nations 

 had left me unstrung, so it is hardly to be wondered at that 

 I failed to stop my fiist bird in the ties, and so found myself 

 no nearer to the top of the list than equal fifth with three otheis. 



This is the nearest I ever went to winning " The Grand 

 Prize " and having my name immortalized on a marble tablet 

 in the historic enclosure. 



But the next season I had a very cheery consolation, which 

 bucked me up considerably. 



Next to " Le Grand Prix " itself, ranked, in those days, Le 

 Grand Prix de Cloture, which wound up the shooting concourse 

 for the season. 



This also was a two day shoot, and a level distance affair. 

 Most of the " Cracks " stayed on to compete, and though the 

 rank and file had drifted away to some extent, the " field " 

 was generally a big one. 



The distance was twenty-nine metres, one which I did not 

 fancy myself at ; especially when pitted against such an array 

 of international talent ; but I had been shooting in very fair 

 form, so ventured to take three hundred-and-thirty louis to 

 ten about my chance. 



One of my compatriots, and a particular pal, was Jack 

 Hayley (a fellow clubman of the now defunct but much 

 regretted Raleigh), " a priceless old sport," as our modern 

 youth would term him. He fancied himself not a little for this 

 event, as he had been showing brilliant form all the season and, 

 among other triumphs, had annexed the valuable " Prix de 

 Monte Carlo." 



He and I had a side bet of one hundred francs on the positions 

 we should respectively hold at the finish. Much to my surprise 

 and Jack's chagrin he missed his first pigeon. 



Five birds were to be shot at on the first day and seven the 

 second; two misses out. I " downed " my preliminary four 

 all right, so sought repose, well satisfied ; for the birds had been 

 real " snipe " and had had a stiff " mistral " blowing from left 

 to right to help them. There had been a surprising number of 



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