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 
232 
