LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2257, 23 May 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

CUB GUN CLUB. [From the *• Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News,”] Back again to India, Ouoe more to the old spot who-o ‘our races ’ took place, _and ‘our pig-sticking club' held their reunions, and yet again is there something left to describe, one more amusement still to be told. Before I commence I wish to »tate_ moat emphatically 'h it lam not an admirer of pigeon shooting. For to become a crack shot at what are known as * the doves.’ a man requires only to become a machine, and the more perfectly the said mechanical arrangements work, the greater the proficiency in the art of slaughter Granted that a blue rook is a moat ‘snaky’ bird, and one that it taxes all yonr powers to kill, also that there is a certain amount of satisfaction in flooring it, still I contend it is not sport, bat a fictitious excitement, and In nine cases out of ton only a medium for gambling. No man Is one whit the better game shot because he can make certain of a right and left at pigeons, and a snap shot two feet over the trap, however effectual, will not help him when it comes to killing a rocketing pheasant •or a bird coming down on a wind. Doubtless there are many who will not agree with me, and If I told them it was cruel would laugh mo to scorn. I can’t help that; I have given my opinion and I stick to it—msking only one exception, which la in favor of tho tir aux pigeons in the Bols de Boulogne There, judging from what I have seen, the sport resolves itself Into making as much noise and smoke as possible, in order to frighten exceedingly tame white birds who have to be encouraged on their wild career by the aid of small pieces of turf, and who occasionally, very occasionally, are unfortunate enough to Hap (I cannot call it fiy) Into tho course of ‘M’sleu the Marquis’’ charge. However, when we formed our gun club wa]had no sooh so • flea, and I was : e keen a member as any on,] else. How it came about that tho institution was founded was as follows. There bad joined ns from England one whose name at Hurlingham and elsewhere was well known, and soon after his arrival he suggested that a club might easily be formed, and (with an eye to fresh laurels) handicaps might he shot off twice a week. He himself would undertake the post of -secretary, and would arrange about traps, rules, birds, &c. The idea was eagerly seized, and a meeting at the usual rendezvous, the raoqaet court, convened, where the concern was floated in every sense, for wo separated by drinking success to our new project In * pegs’ round. The next few days, Johnson, tho promoter, was extremely buoy intetviewing native workmen, and endeavoring to explain to them how to make traps, arranging with the local ‘ Offer’ for a supply of bine rocks, and last not least, receiving subscriptions and drawing up a code of rules. Everybody else was occupied in laying in a store of ammunition and looking over their shooting irons, the general topio of conversation being of the pigeon and how to shoot him. Some one has published a work entitled ‘ How to cook a potato in a hundred ways,’ but if any aspiring author had jotted down the various tips of how to slay tho pigeon, he might easily have eclipsed the number, and, moreover, have obtained a large sale for his book. The opening day -was fixed in a fortnight’s time, bat a few of us were were invited to a private rehearsal in Johnson’s compound (the field surrounding bis bnngalow) beforehand, and accordingly, one afternoon, five or six of os turned -up to witness the working of the new traps, and the general staff. Among the rest were two doctors, Fltzwilliam and ©’Connell, the latter an Irishman, who was brimful of the quaintest sayings imaginable. To see him play whist was as amusing a sight as yon could wish for. He bad a habit, when sorting bis hand, of patting all the trumps between his third and little fingers, so that everybody knew exactly how many he had, and as he also hated parting with them, calling them his “jewels," be was not in much request as a partner. I have often seen him bottle up a king or a ietill the third round, and then triumphantly plank it down, exclaiming when It was trumped, ‘Be the powers I I do aall that hsrrd, 1 clone forgot the blessed jewel,’ following up his oblivion, when he got tho chance, by playing oat every trump in his hand, regardless of his unfortunate partner, merely saying, * Lie there, ye blaakguards; ye won’t throable me again.’ Like all his countryman he was m keen sportsman, and was the proud possessor of an old muzzle-loader, with which ho used to wage a deadly war against snipe, dnok, or paddy bird, whichever came in the road. Well, ai I have said, we all arrived in the compound, where wo found the traps all in readiness, a great basket of birds, and Johnson, full of importance, ready to show ua all the latest from Hurlingham. He had instructed his bearer’s son how to manipulate the at’ings and the art of saying, * Axe yon ready V so that when he volunteered to lead off, just to show how it was done, he had no fear of any contretemps. O’Connell, as Johnson went up to shoot, posted himself away on the right, * just to knook him down, if so be you miss the basts.’

‘Are you ready ?’ said tho bearer boy in liroken English. ‘ Full,’ shouted Johnson, and flop went the whole five traps, and five parti coloured birds walked on to the grass, Johnson firing one barrel (according to custom) a foot over one of the traps, and of course doing no harm. The next instant O’Connell yelled, * Here’s into yon, ’ and bang, bang, went both barrels of the old muzzle-loader, the five birds turning toes up spontaneously. ‘What tho deuce are you thinking of, man ?’ said our discomforted secretary. ‘Begad,’ replied the unabashed Medico, ‘l’m thinking that was a raker. Mother o’ Hoses ! did ye mind how they all wint over at onet ? But where’s the bird yon fired at?’

How he did laugh, and how angry Johnson was, the poor boy catching it to rights for polling the whole lot of strings together 1 After a few more trials it was evident that the pigeons were of the tamest order, and very little use—charming targets for those who, like most of ns, were novices in the art of ‘mechanics,’ and adopted the old-fashioned style of sighting the object before pulling the trigger; but to the professor a snare and a delusion, for in nearly every case our instructor (Johnson) missed his first barrel through the very slowness of the bird in getting on the wing. As he came in for a good deal of friendly chaff, he thought It best to bring the performance to a close, and was soon . ngaged in a long altercation with the owne iof the basket as to the possibility of a consignment of genuine wild blue rooks instead of the farm-yard produce he had ventured to bring. With a smile of cunning, the hoary old rascal said in Hindcstanee, — * Lst me put the bird in the box. You will not complain of It being too slow,’ *Go on,’ said we; and he, wrapping up five ohynas (birds) in a cloth, forthwith trapped them, the while carefully concealing the species from our inquisitive gtze ‘ The ould sinner has got the real article. A blue pigeon, bedad,’ said O’Connell, ‘I do not think he has,’ replied Fitzwilllam | 'he swore he had brought none ; however, it’s your turn to shoot first, so we shall see directly. ’ O’Oonnoll took his station with a wave of the band, and holding the old muzzle-loader ahoved well forward, awaited the pulling of the string. ‘Beady—pull,’—and away skimmed a green object with a long tail, uttering shrill screams as it twisted along about a foot from the ground. * Murther, what tne devil’s that ? ’ roared the discomforted Medico instead of shooting. ‘Be the powers It’s a parrot t ’ and so It was.

A small green parroqaet, combining the speed of ' greased lightning ’ with the corkscrew movements of a snipe, and adding these to the invisibility of a spirit. The remaining four traps were inhabited with like material, and bat one bird was brought to grass, that going to the credit of Fitz wUilam. Johnson was delighted, and as the Shikaree informed us that he could get as many as we wanted by netting some of the old temples after sundown, there was every some lively birds to inaugurate the opening day. ‘ I am aware that parroqnet shooting is by so means nnoommon, and that It did not originate with us. But as we had never heard of or seen it at the time I am speaking of, it seemed an especially grand idea. We therefore undertook to say nothing about it, and anticipated some fun from watching

the looks of surprise the first time the little green object darted off. The day on which the opening of the club was to take place duly arrived, and the morning was spent in getting things in order, marking oat the ground, putting up a tent for the ladies ana tea, generally arranging the programme, and making ait the handicaps. However, by tiffin (Inno.h) time all was in readiness, and Johnson sen', me a note asking for the loan of my trap to take himself, guns, and stuff up to the tryating-pJaca. Now, 1 had not long been the proud possessor of this trap, which I had purchased, together with its locomotive agent, from a friend without seeing. When it arrived the trap was A 1, but the locomotive agent I soon found out hat a temper. In fact it was a horse, the driving of which, if one had regard for the contingencies of life, came far from being a pleasing operation. Once set going he was all right, that is to say, he would ‘go,’ where was a secondary consideration, and as ho took a deal of starting and was as likely as not to gallop into » a ditch, 1 named him ‘The Shoot,’ for I considered thatlhadbeen somewhat ‘done.’ Nevertheless, it Johnson liked to risk his neok I was agreeable and so I sent him an answer in the affirmative, and ordered my syce (groom) to be at his bungalow In an hoar’s time. As for myself, t preferred to ride one of my taps I (ponies) np, and accordingly, having given my weapon to my faithful servant, I started for the spot on the maidan (common) selected for the sport. About half-way there I came upon signs of disaster in the shape of a bag of cartridges lying side by side in the road with » gun case. A little farther on I found more cartridges, three parts of a syce (he was going on one leg only), and half a whip. Konnd the corner was my cart on its side, ‘The Shoot’ in the ditch, with Johnson sitting on his head; while Talbot of the Artillery, and Fitzwilliam, who had been seduced into accompanying him, were endeavoring to get the brute out of the harness, alternating the proceedings by robbing their br nisei. All aronnd were strewed gnns, traps, programmes, and bottles of brandy and tonic water, which the thoughtful secretary had taken with him to refresh the inner man.

‘What the diokens is up?’ said I, as I came upon the scene. * Anyone damaged V ‘ No, thank goodness,’ replied Johnson. < that beastly animal jibbed at that sammy house,’pointing to a roadside temple, ‘and when I hit him bo went off like anything, )> icklng all the way, till he landed ns into the ditch. I wish that syce would come up, he got knocked down about a quarter ot a mile back.’

‘Hois en route? I said. * Meanwhile let us collect the chips.’ Upon which we set to work, and after some trouble everything that was not smashed was got together, and the oai t sent home with a broken shaft, 'The Shoot’ having to be led Ignominloasly. The accident threw tho arrangements a little out of order, for without the secretary the fnn could not commence. So when we arrived on the ground, we found a large and somewhat impatient assembly, who were not complimentary to my steed. There was some little—well I will call it conversation over the distances for the first sweepstake, as the respective merits of everyone being unknown, of coarse we all had to commence on equal terms, At last matters were adjusted, and, with an entry of nineteen, I went up to the mark to lead off, grassing by a fluke my bird, amid a shout of laughter caused at the odd appearance of the parroquet, whose tail, by the way, had been reduced to reasonable proportions. Fitzwilliam and O’Oonnell following, both scored, and then came the ‘ boss of the show,’ to whom everbody looked as the delineator of the O.K. method. Much to his disgust both barrels wore ineffectual, and with a derisive ' cheepweet ’ polly was lost to sight, but to Johnson’s memory far from dear. His temper was not Improved by O’Connell remarking * Man alive, but that’s the identical cray ter I wanted for me sister’s bat.’ Eventually there were four of us left to shoot off the ties, and strangely enough the first three, among them myself, all missed our birds, and with envy we watched the effect of the Irishman’s muzzleloader.

‘Honld ye whist,’ said he to some of the impertinent by-standers who told him to ‘ fancy the bird was an Irish landlord.’ * Honld ye whist till I pouch the baste.’ To the boy, ‘ Pull ye blackguard,’ and boom sounded both barrels fired at once, the bird falling with a broken wing just inside bounds.

‘Gather it,’ we all shouted ; and away went O’Oonnell in hot pnrsnit, falling in his haste head over heels over the strings. Picking himself up, with a yell he bounded after the quarry, which was fast walking over the bonndary. * Get ronnd him,* screamed one.

* Throw yonr topee (hat) at him,’ holloared another ; while a third advised the ‘ triding on his tail.’

To all the excited and perspiring son of Erin turned a deaf ear, and as he neared the chase, he collected himself for a bound, and lannchlng himself into the air, fell flat on the top of the bird, which he squashed, at the same time knocking all the wind out of himself. When ho recovered bis breath be danced back In ..triumph, bearing aloft the parroqnet, and, heedless of the roars of laughter, made his way into the tent, exclaiming,— * Hoiy Frost! it nearly bothered mo j but it’s a foine divaishun entirely. Mr Secretary, I’ll jist trouble you for a taste of that mug, and the shtakes, if ye olase.’ • Here you are,’ replied Johnson? * but it will cost yon some of them to get that old blunderbuss mended. You broke one of the hummers in your acrobatic feats. ’ A fresh burst of laughter was caused by the pathetic way in which O’Connell surveyed his damaged gun, taking it up in his arms as if it was a baby. He was heard to say as he left the tent, ‘ Bad scran to it, I’ve kilt me gun just as the ould divil gained me the dibs, too.’ As he himself could shoot no more that day, the fun became less boisterous, though his unsparing criticisms on the shooters caused much merriment.

I won one sweep, Fltzwilliam another, and Johnson saved his bacon—reputation, 1 mean—by carrying off the third. after which event tea arrived, and small talk took the place of shooting. Everybody agreed, ladies included, that we had had great fun, and as we continued to meet twice a week, ‘Our Gun Club’ became quite a popular institution. Strange to say, Johnson, good shot through he was, never got into form, generally being beaten on the post by the old Irish muzzleloader ; as we called it, a triumph of brute force over science. O'Connell made quite a small income out of his gun, and, much to everybody’s delight, gave up playing whist and bothering his head about the ‘jewels.’