IN THE PACIFIC. 99 



to who killed this beast, several laying claim to 

 having given him the coup de grace ; the sergeant 

 vowed that he had shot it in the act of charging, 

 but this statement must be taken cum grano 

 salis, seeing that the beast was hit in the stern ; 

 it was even reported that the sergeant had been 

 seen to fire into the carcase after it was dead : 

 be that as it may, we had killed three bulls 

 before breakfast, not a bad bag. 



We were now joined by the doctor, who also 

 had some adventures to relate ; he had made a 

 brilliant stalk to within about fifty yards of a 

 bull and cow without being observed by them. 

 Taking a careful rest in the fork of a tree, up 

 which he was prepared to mount in case of 

 accidents, he took aim at the bull ; but alas ! as 

 he was about to fire, the ball rolled out of the 

 muzzle, and fell harmlessly to the ground ; the 

 bull took the hint and skedaddled. 



It was now eight a.m., so we adjourned to 

 the hut for breakfast ; some ducks had mean- 

 while returned to the pond, out of which I 

 bagged five. These birds were a large and hand- 



H 2 



