A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 541 



myself sliot by some of tlie brave ones behind 

 me. The second mate, who was the only real man 

 among them all, seized a large sheath-knife, and 

 climbed into the boat to help me. I knew it would 

 not do to attempt to strike the monster with a 

 knife where he had room enouo-h to defend him- 

 self; I therefore threw it down, and seized a short 

 handspike of iron-wood, the only weapon "s\dthin my 

 reach, and told the second mate to raise the deck, 

 and I wonld attempt to finish my antagonist with 

 the club, for the thought of escaping while I could, 

 and leave for others to do what belonged to me, 

 never entered my mind. As the deck rose I beheld 

 him coiled up about two feet and a half from my 

 right foot. Suffering the acutest agony fr'om the 

 deej) woimd I had already given him, he raised his 

 head hisrh out of the midst of his huo;e coil, his red 

 jaws wide open, and his eyes fl.ashing fire like live 

 coals. I felt the blood chill in my veins as, for an 

 instant, we glanced into each other's eyes, and both 

 instinctively realized that one of us two must die on 

 that spot. He darted at my foot, hoping to fasten 

 his fangs in my canvas shoe, but I was too quick for 

 him, and gave him such a blow over the head and 

 neck that he was glad to coil up again. This gave 

 me time to prepare to deal him another blow, and 

 thus for about fifteen minutes I continued to strike 

 with all my might, and three or four times his jaws 

 came within two or three inches of my canvas shoe. 

 I began now to feel my strength failing, and that I 

 could not hold out more than a moment longer, yet, in 

 that moment, fortunately, the carpenter got his wits 



