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As I emptied my cup Lord Ragnall； who had left the room； returned and
asked us to come and see the game。 So we went； to find it laid out in
endless lines upon the snow…powdered grass in the quadrangle of the
castle； arranged in one main and two separate lots。
〃Those are yours and Sir Junius's；〃 said Scroope。 〃I wonder which of
you has won。 I'll put a sovereign on you； old fellow。〃
〃Then you're a donkey for your pains；〃 I answered； feeling vexed； for
at that moment I had forgotten all about the bet。
I do not remember how many pheasants were killed altogether； but the
total was much smaller than had been hoped for； because of the gale。
〃Jenkins；〃 said Lord Ragnall presently to Red Waistcoat； 〃how many
have you to the credit of Sir Junius Fortescue？〃
〃Two hundred and seventy…seven； my lord； twelve hares； two woodcocks；
and three pigeons。〃
〃And how many to that of Mr。 Quatermain？〃 adding： 〃I must remind you
both； gentlemen； that the birds have been picked as carefully as
possible and kept unmixed； and therefore that the figures given by
Jenkins must be considered as final。〃
〃Quite so；〃 I answered； but Van Koop said nothing。 Then； while we all
waited anxiously； came the amazing answer：
〃Two hundred and seventy…seven pheasants； my lord； same number as
those of Sir Junius； Bart。； fifteen hares； three pigeons； four
partridges； one duck； and a beakI mean a woodcock。〃
〃Then it seems you have won your ￡5； Mr。 Quatermain； upon which I
congratulate you；〃 said Lord Ragnall。
〃Stop a minute；〃 broke in Van Koop。 〃The bet was as to pheasants； the
other things don't count。〃
〃I think the term used was 'birds；'〃 I remarked。 〃But to be frank；
when I made it I was thinking of pheasants； as no doubt Sir Junius was
also。 Therefore； if the counting is correct； there is a dead heat and
the wager falls through。〃
〃I am sure we all appreciate the view you take of the matter；〃 said
Lord Ragnall； 〃for it might be argued another way。 In these
circumstances Sir Junius keeps his ￡5 in his pocket。 It is unlucky for
you； Quatermain；〃 he added； dropping the 〃mister；〃 〃that the last high
pheasant you shot can't be found。 It fell into the lake； you remember；
and； I suppose； swam ashore and ran。〃
〃Yes；〃 I replied； 〃especially as I could have sworn that it was quite
dead。〃
〃So could I； Quatermain； but the fact remains that it isn't there。〃
〃If we had all the pheasants that we think fall dead our bags would be
much bigger than they are；〃 remarked Van Koop； with a look of great
relief upon his face； adding in his horrid； patronizing way： 〃Still；
you shot uncommonly well； Quatermain。 I'd no idea you would run me so
close。〃
I felt inclined to answer； but didn't。 Only Lord Ragnall said：
〃Mr。 Quatermain shot more than well。 His performance in the Lake
covert was the most brilliant that I have ever seen。 When you went in
there together； Sir Junius； you were thirty ahead of him； and you
fired seventeen more cartridges at the stand。〃
Then； just as we turned to go； something happened。 The round…eyed
Charles ran puffing into the quadrangle； followed by another man with
a dog； who had been specially set to pick my birds； and carrying in
his hand a much…bedraggled cock pheasant without a tail。
〃I've got him； my lord；〃 he gasped； for he had run very fast； 〃the
little gent'sI mean that which he killed in the clouds with the last
shot he fired。 It had gone right down into the mud and stuck there。
Tom and me fished him up with a pole。〃
Lord Ragnall took the bird and looked at it。 It was almost cold； but
evidently freshly killed； for the limbs were quite flexible。
〃That turns the scale in favour of Mr。 Quatermain；〃 he said； 〃so； Sir
Junius； you had better pay your money and congratulate him； as I do。〃
〃I protest；〃 exclaimed Van Koop； looking very angry and meaner than
usual。 〃How am I to know that this was Mr。 Quatermain's pheasant？ The
sum involved is more than ￡5 and I feel it is my duty to protest。〃
〃Because my men say so； Sir Junius； moreover； seeing the height from
which the bird fell； their story is obviously true。〃
Then he examined the pheasant further； pointing out that it appeared
to have only one wounda shot through the throat almost exactly at
the root of the beak； of which shot there was no mark of exit。 〃What
sized shot were you using； Sir Junius？〃 he asked。
〃No。 4 at the last stand。〃
〃And you were using No。 3； Mr。 Quatermain。 Now； was any other gun
using No。 3？〃
All shook their heads。
〃Jenkins； open that bird's head。 I think the shot that killed it will
be found in the brain。〃
Jenkins obeyed； using a penknife cleverly enough。 Pressed against the
bone of the skull he found the shot。
〃No。 3 it is； sure enough； my lord；〃 he said。
〃You will agree that settles the matter； Sir Junius；〃 said Lord
Ragnall。 〃And now； as a bet has been made here it had better be paid。〃
〃I have not enough money on me；〃 said Van Koop sulkily。
〃I think your banker is mine；〃 said Lord Ragnall quietly； 〃so you can
write a cheque in the house。 Come in； all of you； it is cold in this
wind。〃
So we went into the smoking…room； and Lord Ragnall； who； I could see；
was annoyed； instantly fetched a blank cheque from his study and
handed it to Van Koop in rather a pointed manner。
He took it； and turning to me； said：
〃I remember the capital sum； but how much is the interest？ Sorry to
trouble you； but I am not very good at figures。〃
〃Then you must have changed a good deal during the last twelve years；
Sir Junius；〃 I could not help saying。 〃Still； never mind the interest；
I shall be quite satisfied with the principal。〃
So he filled up the cheque for ￡250 and threw it down on the table
before me； saying something about its being a bother to mix up
business with pleasure。
I took the draft； saw that it was correct though rather illegible； and
proceeded to dry it by waving it in the air。 As I did so it came into
my mind that I would not touch the money of this successful scamp； won
back from him in such a way。
Yielding to a perhaps foolish impulse； I said：
〃Lord Ragnall； this cheque is for a debt which years ago I wrote off
as lost。 At luncheon to…day you were talking of a Cottage Hospital for
which you are trying to get up an endowment fund in this
neighbourhood； and in answer to a question from you Sir Junius
Fortescue said that he had not as yet made any subscription to its
fund。 Will you allow me to hand you Sir Junius's subscriptionto be
entered in his name； if you please？〃 And I passed him the cheque；
which was drawn to myself or bearer。
He looked at the amount； and seeing that it was not ￡5； but ￡250；
flushed； then asked：
〃What do you say to this act of generosity on the part of Mr。
Quatermain； Sir Junius？〃
There was no answer； because Sir Junius had gone。 I never saw him
again； for years ag