Mr.Scroope has a friend from Africa staying with him who, he swears, could knock over four out of six." "Then, my lord, Mr.Scroope has a friend what lies," replied Charles as he handed him the second rifle.
This was too much for me.

I stepped forward, raising my hat politely, and said: "Sir, forgive me for interrupting you, but you are not shooting at those wood-pigeons in the right way.

Although they seem to hover just before they settle, they are dropping much faster than you think.

Your keeper was mistaken when he said that you knocked a feather out of the tail of that last bird at which you fired two barrels.

In both cases you shot at least a foot above it, and what fell was a leaf from the ilex tree." There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Charles, who ejaculated in a thick voice: "Well, of all the cheek!" Lord Ragnall, however, for it was he, looked first angry and then amused.
"Sir," he said, "I thank you for your advice, which no doubt is excellent, for it is certainly true that I have missed every pigeon which I tried to shoot with these confounded little rifles.