The Duke was standing quite alone, and in that moment I saw his gun go up to his shoulder at a bird, then in a flash it turned towards me!
I realised my danger in a moment and threw myself flat on my face. As I lay there I heard the report of his gun, the swish of the charge, and a cry from my loader. He had shot him!
I sprang to my feet, and ran to the man, who was standing holding his arm; but quick as I was the Duke was there before me.
"Are you hurt, my man?" he asked in his sharp tone which I knew so well. "Where are you hit?"
"It's in the arm, sir," the Norfolk man answered; "it be set fast."
"Look here," said the Duke, quickly taking out a note case. "I can see you are not badly hurt. Take these bank-notes; here are twenty pounds. Go quietly away and say nothing about it and I'll give you another twenty. Do you understand?"
"Yes, me lord," answered the man, who probably had never had so much money before in his life. "I'll keep mum."
"Can you walk all right?" asked the Duke.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness," answered the poor fellow, who was getting mixed, feeling, no doubt, very faint.
"Then off with you at once," cried the Duke, "and send some one up in the morning to the Duke of Rittersheim for the other twenty pounds. Tell the people," he added, as the man went slowly off, "that you have had a bad fall."