IN THE PACIFIC. 95 



out some one had been killed, so we sallied out 

 with a lantern to look for the body ; we could 

 see nothing, however, so we concluded that the 

 Indian's skull had been proof against a blow 

 which would have brained any ordinary mortal. 

 Order being at last restored, we retired again 

 to our respective huts : we were soon aware, 

 from sundry noises outside, that a beast of some 

 sort was feeding within a few yards "of us ; 

 cautiously stealing out with our rifles ready, we 

 peered into the darkness, which was so intense 

 that we could see nothing, although we could 

 hear an animal breathing and cropping the 

 grass within five yards of us. At last the brute 

 either saw or winded us, and with a loud snort 

 bolted ; the sergeant fired, and declared he hit 

 it, when we once more retired to rest. "We 

 were disturbed in this way several times during 

 the night, but nothing came of it as darkness 

 favoured the animals ; at daylight we found, by 

 their tracks, that the cattle had been feeding all 

 round the hut. 



We were all astir as soon as we could see, 



