CROOKED POWDER. 261 



poor Jack, for I reached the stone without mishap ; 

 but, oh ! what a state I was in. I once heard a 

 song, when in the land of " the stars and stripes," 

 which commenced somewhat after this fashion 



Oh ! my heart was made to flutter, 

 As I stepped across the gutter, 



By the pretty girl that winked at me. 



Now, that young man's case was nothing to mine ; 

 for, instead of my heart fluttering, it was hammering, 

 thump, thump, against my ribs, as if it desired to 

 escape from the control of a person who treated it 

 -badly." 



I have no delicacy in confessing that I leaned 

 against that rock. More, I may as well acknowledge, 

 while in a truthful frame of mind, if that rock had 

 not been there, I should have laid down, so was 

 commencing to feel grateful for its support, when 

 the villainous black fellow seized me and tried to 

 draw me from my resting-place. It was not in my 

 power to resist, so I made a virtue of necessity, 

 and came forth, when, straight in front of me, not 

 thirty yards off, were the two bull koodoos passing, 

 their pace being about as rapid as might be expected 



