Simpson"s politeness to my wife was unbounded. He professed himself charmed to have the honour of making her acquaintance, took her in to luncheon with as much tender care as though she had been a cracked bit of very precious china ware; invited her to partake of everything on the table, shoving the dishes under her chin, and advising her as to what to eat, drink, and avoid. He narrated stories of n.o.ble families with whom he was upon the most intimate terms, and a.s.sured my wife that he was quite startled by her extraordinary likeness to Lady Sarah Macwhirter; which so pleased Mrs S. that later on she informed me that as Blossie was so much better, she thought it would be more polite to give Mr Simpson the blue bedroom.
I found this ardent sportsman very much inclined to dally in my lady"s boudoir, in preference to taking the field, and I encouraged this proclivity, in the hope of escaping the shooting altogether, and thus save the credit of my so-called preserves. But here again I was doomed to disappointment. Mrs S., who now began to become rather anxious about the domestic arrangements, politely but firmly reminded him of the object of his visit, and insisted upon our departing for the happy hunting-grounds at once. And at length, when very reluctantly he rose from the table, he helped himself to a stiff gla.s.s of brandy-and-water, in order, as he stated, to "steady his hand."
I must confess that I was rather startled when he announced his intention of shooting in his ulster. The idea of dragging this long-tailed appendage across ditches and over bogs appeared _outre_, especially as the pockets bulged very considerably, as though they were loaded with woollen wraps; but I was silent in the presence of one who had sought his quarry in the jungle, and shoved my old-fashioned idea back into the fusty lumber-room of my thoughts. Billy Doyle awaited us with the dogs at the stable gate. These faithful animals no sooner perceived me than they set up an unlimited howling of delight; but instead of bounding forward to meet me, as was their wont, they suddenly stopped, as if struck by an invisible hand, and commenced to set at Simpson.
This extraordinary conduct of these dogs--there are no better dogs in Ireland--incensed Billy to fever heat.
"Arrah, what the puck are yez settin" at? Are yez mad or dhrunk? Whoop!
gelang ow a that, Feltram! Hush! away wud ye, Birdlime!"
"Take them away; take them away!" cried Simpson, very excitedly. "I don"t want them; I never shoot with dogs. Remove them, my man."
Billy caught Feltram, but Birdlime eluded his grasp; and having released Feltram and captured Birdlime, the former remained at a dead set, whilst the latter struggled with his captor, as though the lives of both depended on the issue.
"May the divvle admire me," panted Billy, "but this bangs Banagher. Is there a herrin" stirrin", or anything for to set the dogs this way?--it bates me intirely."
I naturally turned to my guest, who looked as puzzled as I did myself.
"I have it!" he cried; "it"s the blood of the sperm-whale that"s causing this."
"Arrah, how the blazes cud the blood av all the whales in Ireland make thim shupayriour animals set as if the birds were foreninst them?"
demanded Billy, his arms akimbo.
"I will explain," said Simpson. "Last autumn I was up whaling off the coast of Greenland. We struck a fine fish; and after playing him for three-and-twenty hours, we got him aboard. Just as we were taking the harpoon out, he made one despairing effort and spurted blood; a few drops fell upon this coat, just here," pointing to the inside portion of his right-hand cuff, "and I pledge you my veracity no dog can withstand it. They invariably point; and I a.s.sure you, Smithe, you could get up a drag hunt by simply walking across country in this identical coat, built by John Henry Smalpage."
This startling and sensational explanation satisfied me. Not so my _factotum_, who gave vent in an undertone to such exclamations as "_Naboclish! Wirra, wirra!_ What does he take us for? Whales, begorra!"
The riddance of the dogs was a grand _coup_ for me. In the event of having no sport the failure could be easily accounted for, and I should come off with flying colours.
"I make it a point" observed Simpson, "to shoot as little with dogs as possible. I like to set my own game, shoot it, and bag it; nor do I care to be followed by troublesome and often impertinent self-opinionated game-keepers" (Billy was at this moment engaged in incarcerating Feltram and Birdlime). "These fellows are always spoilt, and never know their position."
I was nettled at this.
"If you refer to----"
"My dear Smithe, I allude to my friend Lord Mulligatawny"s fellows, got up in Lincoln green and impossible gaiters, who insist upon loading for you, and all that sort of thing. You know Mulligatawny, of course?"
I rather apologised for not having the honour.
"Then you shall, Smithe. I"ll bring you together when you come to town.
Leave that to me; a nice little party: Mulligatawny, Sir Percy Whiffler, Colonel Owlfinch of the 1st Life Guards--they"re at Beggar"s Bush now, I suppose--Belgum, yourself, and myself."
This was very considerate and flattering; and I heartily hoped that by some fluke or other we might be enabled to make a bag.
When we arrived upon the shooting-ground, I observed that it was time to load; and calling up Billy Doyle with the guns, I proceeded to carry my precept into practice. My weapon was an old-fashioned muzzle-loader, one of Truelock & Harris"s; and as I went through the process of loading, I could see that Mr Simpson was regarding my movements with a careful and critical eye.
"I know that you swells despise this sort of thing," I remarked; "but I have dropped a good many birds with this gun at pretty long ranges, and have wiped the eyes of many a breech-loading party."
"I--I like that sort of gun," said Simpson. "I"d be glad if you"d take this," presenting his, with both barrels covering me.
"Good heavens, don"t do that!" I cried, shoving the muzzle aside.
"What--what--" he cried, whirling round like a teetotum--"what have I done?"
"Nothing as yet; but I hate to have the muzzle of a gun turned towards me since the day I saw poor cousin Jack"s brains blown out."
"What am I to do?" exclaimed Simpson. "I"ll do anything."
"It"s all right," I replied; "you won"t mind my old-world stupidity."
My guest"s gun was a central-fire breech-loader of Rigby"s newest type, which he commenced to prepare for action in what seemed to me to be a very bungling sort of way. He dropped it twice, and in releasing the barrels, brought them into very violent collision with his head, which caused the waters of anguish to roll silently down his cheeks and on to his pointed moustache. If I had not been aware of his manifold experiences in the shooting line, I could have set him down as a man who had never handled a gun in his life; but knowing his powers and prowess, I ascribed his awkwardness to simple carelessness, a carelessness in all probability due to the smallness of the game of which he was now in pursuit. I therefore refrained from taking any notice, and from making any observation until he deliberately proceeded to thrust a patent cartridge into the _muzzle_ of the barrel of his central-fire.
"Hold hard, Mr Simpson; you are surely only jesting."
"Jesting! How do you mean?"
"Why, using that cartridge in the way you are doing."
"What other way should I use it?"
"May I again remind you that I am utterly averse to facetiousness where firearms are concerned, and----"
"My dear Smithe, I meant nothing, I a.s.sure you. I pledge you my word of honour. Here, load it yourself;" and he handed me the gun.
"There"ll be a job for the coroner afore sunset," growled Billy.
"What do you mean, sir?" exclaimed Simpson, rather savagely.
"Mane! There"s widdys and lone orphans enough in the counthry, sir--that"s what I mane," and Billy started in advance with the air of a man who had to do or die.
Mr Simpson was silent for some time, during which he found himself perpetually involved in his gun, which appeared to give him the uttermost uneasiness. First, he held it at arm"s length as if it was a bow; then he placed it under his arm, and held on to it with the tenacity of an octopus; after a little he shifted it again, sloping it on his shoulder, ever and anon glancing towards the barrels to ascertain their exact position. He would pause, place the b.u.t.t against the ground, and survey the surrounding prospect with the scrutinising gaze of a cavalry patrol.
"Hush!" he suddenly exclaimed. "We lost something that time; I heard a bird."
"Nothin", barrin" a crow," observed Billy.
"A plover, sir; it was the cry of a plover," evasively retorted the other.
"Holy Vargin! do ye hear this? A pluvver! Divvle resave the pluvver ever was seen in the barony!"
"Silence, Doyle!" I shouted, finding that my retainer"s observations were becoming personal and unpleasant.
"Troth, we"ll all be silent enough by-an"-by."
We had been walking for about half an hour, when Mr Simpson suggested that it might be advisable to separate, he taking one direction, I taking the other, but both moving in parallel lines. Having joyfully a.s.sented to this proposition, as the careless manner in which he handled his gun was fraught with the direst consequences, I moved into an adjacent bog, leaving my guest to blaze away at what I considered a safe distance. I took Billy with me, both for company and for counsel, as my guest"s a.s.sumed ignorance of the fundamental principles of shooting had somewhat puzzled me.
"It"s a quare bisniss intirely, Masther Jim. He knows no more how to howld a gun nor you do to howld a baby, more betoken ye"ve two av the finest childre--G.o.d be good to them!--in Europe. I don"t like for to say he"s coddin" us, wud his tigers an" elephants an" combusticles, but, be me song, it luks very like it. I"d like for to see him shootin", that wud putt an ind to the question."
At this moment, bang! bang! went the two barrels of my guest"s gun.