chap. in. AN AWKWARD VIS-A-VIS. 43 



to the very edge of the creek, and I had gained so 

 fast upon him that I was not thirty paces distant, 

 when he plunged into the water and commenced 

 swimming across the creek. This was not more than 

 sixty yards in breadth, and I knew that I could now 

 bring him to action. 



Running round the borders of the creek as fast as 

 I could, I arrived at the opposite side on his intended 

 landing-place just as his black form reared from the 

 deep water and gained the shallows, into which I had 

 waded knee-deep to meet him. I now experienced 

 that pleasure as he stood sullenly eyeing me within 

 fifteen paces. Poor stupid fellow ! I would willingly, 

 in my ignorance, have betted ten to one upon the 

 shot, so certain was I of his death in another instant. 



I took a quick but steady aim at his chest, at the 

 point of connection with the throat. The smoke of the 

 barrel passed to one side ; —there he stood — he had not 

 flinched ; he literally had not moved a muscle. The 

 only change that had taken place was in his eye ; 

 this, which had hitherto been merely sullen, was now 

 beaming with fury ; but his form was as motionless as 

 a statue. A stream of blood poured from a wound 

 within an inch of the spot at which I had aimed ; had 

 it not been for this fact, I should not have believed 

 him struck. 



Annoyed at the failure of the shot, I tried him 



with the left-hand barrel at the same hole. The re- 



E 



