CHAPTER XV 



MEANWHILE I had been shooting steadily at Hurling- 

 ham on the alternate days. In one of the " star " 

 events I annexed third prize with nine kills straight, and 

 divided one of the even distance pools. 



It was at the Raleigh Club the next day that I ran across 

 my friend Gambier. 



" Now," said I, " what's all this mystery about my car- 

 tridges ? Yours certainly did the trick all right, and I am 

 profoundly grateful but what about it ? " 



" I would not give the show away before," said my friend, 

 " for fear you might get the wind up ; but I have been watch- 

 ing your shooting for some time past, and I always back you, 

 because you account for a nice average of good birds, and 

 never miss an easy one. You have been at the top of your 

 form all this week. I am not the only one who has spotted the 

 fact, for I could name a dozen of the cleverest backers who, 

 like myself, bet on your every shot. 



" Now the day before the International I tumbled to some 

 very dirty work that was going on in the professional ring. 

 The pencillers asked for 7 to 2 and 4 to I on your first two 

 shots (you might have missed, of course). When it came to 

 the third round they began shouting that they would take the 

 same odds, and ended by accepting 5/04.' / You were shooting 

 steadily enough, and had killed your birds cleanly. Why, 

 then, should ' the Ring ' accept absurd odds under the cir- 

 cumstances ? Wait ! Your third bird was an easy one, 

 and you seemed to pepper it with both barrels ; but to every- 

 one's surprise, including, I expect, your own, the pigeon 

 passed the boundary but little the worse. Mark you, Cockie, 

 I had seen this thing happen before when you were shooting 

 in ordinary contests. Now do you see why I acted as I did ? " 



'57 



