American Big-Game Hunting 



the carcass from the throat to the pelvis, 

 and had my hands already messed up in a 

 mass of liver, paunch, express-balls, etc., etc., 

 when my attention was drawn to a dark mass 

 at that point, and in a moment my rifle was 

 in hand ready for the emergency. By the 

 time I was ready to fire he had discovered 

 something unusual in his front, and had "sat 

 up" to make me out. Before doing so, aim 

 had been quickly taken at his brisket, and at 

 the report he had tumbled over, the ball 

 striking the left side, fragments penetrating 

 the heart. Judging from his boldness in 

 stumbling on to me, not more than fifteen 

 minutes after my last shot, I expected that 

 he would show fight, but instead he made 

 back on his trail as fast as his condition 

 would allow. From previous experience in 

 just such circumstances, the necessity was at 

 once recognized of a cautious but vigorous 

 pursuit, if he was to be secured before hiding 

 in the brush; and without hesitation I plunged 

 through the marsh, half knee-deep in mud and 

 water, and entered the narrow trail on the 

 opposite side. Pursuing it rapidly for thirty 

 or forty yards to where it passed through 

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