THE BATTUE ON BONDA KEY. 191 



" Fire your gun at him." 



Lem was lying down flat on his face, trying to peep 

 under the bushes, when the Doctor, at the suggestion, 

 fired into the thicket. At the report of his gun, out 

 rushed the animal, stung, probably, by the shot. So 

 quick was his charge, that Lem did not have time to get 

 out of the way, and was run over by the brute, as dash- 

 ing right through the midst of us, he hied away for the 

 woods from which we had just come. There were too 

 many crowded around, when he first came forth, to make 

 it at all safe to shoot, and the moment he- gained a little 

 distance, his round stern presented a target as little vul- 

 nerable as the rump of a rhinoceros, as he ran with a 

 lumbering gait, but with great speed, for his old haunts. 

 But the hounds were soon after him, and as they came 

 up they ran alongside, snapping at him without stopping 

 him ; then the smaller dogs came to their assistance, and 

 seizuig him behind, forced him to bay, which he did by 

 standing on his hind legs, and making sweeps with his 

 front paws at his pursuers. It was an amusing sight to 

 see the dogs run, but still more so to see the negroes 

 madly excited about the danger of their favorite curs, 

 and yet cheering them on with cries, and grotesque 

 denunciations, and warnings. 



" Now for it ! Whose shot is it ?" 



" Let the Doctor try." 



" I ain't loaded ; wait a minute." 



" Ho ! ho ! that's a good one ! Jackson, shoot." 



Without a word of parley, Jackson fired, and struck 



