Well!
so to dinner "with what appetite I may," and then on to Pretoria,
of which place I think I shall change the name to Pre-radicallia or
Pre-fourthpartia. You see Pre-toria implies one who was Toryer than
a Tory. Aha! what is my scheme? Do you see the picture? GRANDOLPHUS
IMPERATOR REX AURIFERORUM MEORUM (Latine for "Mines") surrounded by
his Pretorian Guards.
* * * * *
SPORT TO US!
[Illustration: "What larks! Killed four-and-twenty blackbirds all in a
row! at one shot!!!"]
Went out shooting before dinner. Killed one wild turkey, after an
awful struggle, in which I very nearly got the worst of it; but
fortunately the turkey was unarmed, though for all that he used his
drumsticks in such a manner as in a little more would have brought
flocks of other furious wild turkeys on to the scene, had I not, with
great presence of mind and one small bullet out of my spring-pea rifle
managed to crack the parchment-like skin which covers his drum, and
at the same time broken one of his sticks. Then, he fell. Carried him
home on my back. What larks! Killed four-and-twenty blackbirds at
one shot as they were all sitting in a row on a rail. They were so
frightened of me, _it made 'em quail!!_ Wonderful transformation,
wasn't it? But fact, all the same. Four-and-twenty quail All on
a rail. Killed eighty "Koran," a Mahomedan bird, very scarce, and
therefore bring in a considerable Mahomet, or, (ahem) profit? See?
Shot a "Tittup"--so called on account of its peculiar action after
drinking; also three early German Beerbirds, or, as the Dutchmen call
them, "Spring-boks.
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