44 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



undertaken a very hazardous task, to retire from 

 which it was more than doubtful whether I should 

 succeed in doing with a whole skin ; but, as the 

 situation was of my own choosing, and the enemy 

 seemed to exhibit no intention of giving up the 

 game, nothing remained for me 10 do, but to play 

 out my hand. 



Well, before I was capped I was chased out of 

 cover. At length I succeeded in placing the 

 troublesome things on the nipples ; but so active 

 was my pursuer, I could not obtain time to turn and 

 fire with any prospect of seriously injuring the 

 enraged beast; therefore I had to bolt down hill with 

 my assailant at my heels, trumpeting with increased 

 power. I veritably thought my days were numbered, 

 for I felt instinctively that the foe was only a few 

 feet off, when a thought struck me — I will practise 

 the artifice pursued by the timid hare, viz., double, 

 and I did so. The manoeuvre was skilfully carried 

 out ; no wonder ; it was the only chance I had of 

 living to fight another day. But I had not done 

 with the worthy old patriarch yet, for as he stumbled 

 along in his efforts to stop himself he got both 

 barrels in his stern, one of which shots disabled a 

 hind leg and therefore placed the gallant foe entirely 

 at my mercy. 



