208 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



fired it off, still holding it in the position in which 

 he had received it from Coffee. 



The whole of the contents entered the negro's 

 body, and he dropped dead on his face. 



The negroes, who had formed in a crescent, now 

 in their turn fired a volley, which brought Mr. 

 Edmonstone and his two Indian chiefs to the 

 ground. The Maroons did not stand to reload, 

 but on Mr. Edmonstone 's party coming up, they 

 fled precipitately into the surrounding forest. 



Four slugs had entered Mr. Edmonstone 's 

 body. After coming to himself, on looking 

 around, he saw one of the fallen Indian chiefs 

 bleeding by his side. He accosted him by name, 

 and said he hoped he was not much hurt. The 

 dying Indian had just strength enough to answer, 

 *'0h no," — and then expired. The other chief 

 was lying quite dead. He must have received his 

 mortal wound just as he was in the act of cocking 

 his gun to fire on the negroes; for it appeared 

 that the ball which gave him his death wound, 

 had carried off the first joint of his thumb, and 

 passed through his forehead. By this time his 

 wife, who had accompanied the expedition, came 

 up. She was a fine young woman, and had her 

 long black hair fancifully braided in a knot on the 

 top of her head, fastened with a silver ornament. 

 She unloosed it, and, falling on her husband's 

 body, covered it with her hair, bewailing his 

 untimely end with the most heartrending cries. 



The blood was now running out of Mr. Edmon- 

 stone 's shoes. On being raised up, he ordered 

 his men to pursue the flying Maroons, requesting 

 at the same time that he might be left where he 



