lot shorter?

anyone noticed that the strings seem shorter this week are we asking the wrong sort of questions or are the askees getting tired and need a rest?

We prefer to think that we are honing our wit.

But in reality The Baron just hasn't been feeling well recently.

Nonsense!
I've felt quite fine. In fact, I've been away on a singular adventure which I will relate to you presently.

Though perhaps a bit unfortunate, sometimes a Gentleman of Distinction, such as myself, is obligated to spend some time in France.

While there it came upon me to go hunting with an entourage of the finest hunters The Court had to offer. We selected ample ball and shot and set out for the Kings Own Hunting Grounds.

At one point the dogs had gotten quite away from us which wouldn't have happened, no doubt, if I had brought my prized bitch with me from home. Though all we could hear was the faintest yipping, I knew they had struck game. I took aim and fired.

Not seeing at what I took aim, most of the company present thought I had quite taken leave of my senses. But as we approached the animals they saw a pheasant which I had brough down from two miles away.

Not one to be outdone by a foreigner, the realm's finest hunter took called for his bow and telescope, and encouraged the dogs to get even further away.

He fell the bird from four miles away.
An impressive feat, I said, but hardly extraordinary given the use of a telescope.

At this the hunter took great offense and suggested we have a contest. Not being one to shy from challenge, I proposed that we stand on the shore of the channel and take aim at a target placed on the other side. To this he accepted and preparations were made.

The hunter shot first, and placed his mark just to the left of center.
Using the telescope given to me by the highest Astronomers of Vienna, I found the target presently and corrected for the flight of the arrow such as I might. I then took aim with a silver arrow of mine, presented to me by the Grand Turk, and shot.

As it was approaching there was a most extrordinary occurance. The crowd that had gathered on the English side had conspired, it seemed, to sneeze all at once! The ensuing gust of wind was enough to deflect the tragectory upward at such an angle that the arrow lodged itself firmly in the moon!

The hunter was ready to declare himself the victor, but I bid him wait for me to recover the arrow. The crowd on my side of the channel was highly dubious of my ability to do this.

I had travelled to France by Air Balloon. I filled my balloon with such hot air as would be unbearable to most men. This floated me straight up, and to the moon. Now, had it been daytime on the moon (nighttime on earth) the surface would have shone to such a degree to make finding a silver arrow quite a chore.

But it was night on the moon and the light from my eyes was enough to locate the arrow. After recovering it, I took aim at the target, from the moon, and hit the center with no further unexpected currents.

Upon returning to earth I was declared the victor, much to the dismay of the hunter, and was celebrated with a banquet so sumptuous that it made the trip to France almost worth it.