Now! Then! William Allison (11) fails to shoot any rabbits at Coxwold

2 January 1863: William Allison (11) fails to shoot any rabbits at Coxwold

William Allison. 1920. “My Kingdom for a Horse!”. New York: E.P. Dutton and Company. Get it:

Excerpt

When I was no more than ten years old, my father had taken a great deal of trouble in teaching me how to handle and load a muzzle-loading gun with safety, in any event, to myself and others. So thoroughly was I grounded in this respect that I was allowed to go out with an old single-barrel muzzle-loader, with half charges, to shoot fieldfares or rabbits. I find, in the Diary for 2nd January 1863: “Out shooting this morning at Davison’s, and killed three. They let me shoot at the pigeons.” This was really an iniquitous proceeding, for the farmer’s wife, Mrs Davison, had expressed doubt as to my capacity to hit anything, and I offered her sixpence to let me have a shot at the pigeons. She accepted the offer, and I waited till a number of pigeons were on the roof of one of the buildings and fired into the midst of them. My recollection is that five were killed, but the diary says three – anyhow I went home in triumph with the spoils, but was not commended for what I had done.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

When I was no more than ten years old, my father had taken a great deal of trouble in teaching me how to handle and load a muzzle-loading gun with safety, in any event, to myself and others. I never forgot those lessons, and whatever may have been my proficiency as a game shot, I can say without fear of contradiction that I have never caused the slightest feeling of apprehension to anyone who has been shooting with me. So thoroughly was I grounded in this respect that I was allowed to go out with an old single-barrel muzzle-loader, with half charges, to shoot fieldfares or rabbits. I find, in the Diary for 2nd January 1863:

Out shooting this morning at Davison’s, and killed three. They let me shoot at the pigeons.

This was really an iniquitous proceeding, for the farmer’s wife, Mrs Davison, had expressed doubt as to my capacity to hit anything, and I offered her sixpence to let me have a shot at the pigeons. She accepted the offer, and I waited till a number of pigeons were on the roof of one of the buildings and fired into the midst of them. My recollection is that five were killed, but the diary says three – anyhow I went home in triumph with the spoils, but was not commended for what I had done.

That same year I was out with the gun and accompanied by an old servant of ours, Mary Ridsdale by name – I suppose it was thought I needed looking after. I marked a blackbird into a hedge and went there to kick it up. There was a scurry of wings as a bird suddenly rose and flew away. I fired at it almost automatically, and down it came. Not till then did I see that it was a partridge. Moreover, I had no game certificate and it was not the shooting season. Various men with carts were passing on the road hard by. Worst of all, the partridge was a runner and we had no dog with us.

355 words.