The Boers also, brave and honest men enough, evidently appreciated them, for they said: "Ja! ja! das ist recht" (That is right).
Only Pereira turned his broad back and busied himself with relighting his pipe, which had gone out.
Then Retief began again.
"What is it you were calling us to listen to, Mynheer Pereira?
That this Heer Allan Quatermain had offered to shoot you a match?
Well, why not?
If he can hit Kaffirs running at him with spears, as he has done, he may be able to hit other things also.

You say that you won't rob him of his money--no, it was his beautiful horse--because you have taken so many prizes shooting at targets.

But did _you_ ever hit a Kaffir running at _you_ with an assegai, mynheer, you who live down there where everything is safe?
If so, I never heard of it." Pereira answered that he did not understand me to propose a shooting match at Kaffirs charging with assegais, but at something else--he knew not what.
"Quite so," said Retief.

"Well, Mynheer Allan, what is it that you do propose ?" "That we should stand in the great kloof between the two _vleis_ yonder--the Heer Marais knows the place--when the wild geese flight over an hour before sunset, and that he who brings down six of them in the fewest shots shall win the match." "If our guns are loaded with loopers that will not be difficult," said Pereira.
"With loopers you would seldom kill a bird, mynheer," I replied, "for they come over from seventy to a hundred yards up.

No, I mean with rifles." "Allemachte!" broke in a Boer; "you will want plenty of ammunition to hit a goose at that height with a bullet." "That is my offer," I said, "to which I add this, that when twenty shots have been fired by each man, he who has killed the most birds wins, even if he has not brought down the full six.