“I can’t see it. These are only opera-glasses.”
Dead silence followed the next shot, which left no visible mark on the target; and Lisle did not look around as he thrust his last cartridge into the rifle. He let it lie beside him for half a minute while he opened and shut his right hand, and then, taking it up quickly, fired. Still there was no blur on the white surface of the card and Gladwyne sharply shut his glasses, while two of the onlookers ran toward the target. They came back in silence and one significantly held up the ace. There were three small holes in the black center.
Gladwyne had turned away when Lisle got up, but Batley concealed his feelings very well.
“Excellent!” he exclaimed. “As I can’t beat that, the only thing left me is to pay up.”
Lisle turned to Crestwick, who looked hot and excited.
“You made the bet,” he said. “Will you use my half in buying a competition cup for one of your clubs?”
He saw Batley’s smile and a somewhat curious look in Gladwyne’s face, but the group broke up and he strolled back across the lawn with Bella.
“I’m grateful,” she said softly. “I was a little afraid at first that I was asking too much of you.”
Lisle met her glance with a good assumption of surprise.
“Grateful? Because I indulged in a rather enjoyable match?”