Jessie and her sister now stept forward, and measuring off a shorter
distance, took their stations. Their shooting, in which they were
quite at home, was truly wonderful. Instead of using the bow as we
did, so as to bring the arrow in a line with the eye, they held it
lower down, in a way to return the elbow to the right side, much in
the same manner that a skilful sportsman shoots from the hip. It
seemed to be no sort of exertion whatever to them, and every arrow was
lodged in the inner circle. It seemed to awaken them to a new
existence, and in their excitement I observed they used their mother
tongue.
"Beg your pardon, Sir," said Jackson to the doctor, putting his hand
to his forehead, "if our sharp-shooters in Spain ad ad bows like
yours, in their scrimmages with the French light troops, they would
ave done more service and made less noise about it than they did." And
saluting me in the same manner, he said in an under-tone,
"If I ad ad one of them at Badajoz, Sir, I think I'd a put a pen in
that trooper's mouth to write the account of the way he lost his
elmet. A shower of them, Sir, among a troop of cavalry would have sent
riders flying, and horses kicking, as bad as a shower of grape. There
is no danger of shooting your fingers off with them, Sir, or firing
away your ramrod. No, there ain't, is there, Sir?"
"Tom, do'ee put on your hat now, that's a good soul," said his
attentive wife, who had followed him out a third time to remind him of
his danger.
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