What is Man? 51 



knowing that he was not dead but only stunned. 

 There was a large fallen tree about half a mile from 

 us, whose whitened branches rising high above the 

 ground offered a tempting asylum. To this we directed 

 our flying steps, and after a run of a hundred yards, we 

 turned and looked behind us. He had regained his 

 feet and was following us slowly. We now experi- 

 enced the difference of feeling between hunting and 

 being hunted, and fine sport we must have afforded 

 him. 



On he came, but fortunately so stunned by the col- 

 lision with her Majesty's features upon the coin which 

 he had dared to oppose that he could only reel forward 

 at a slow canter. By degrees even this pace slackened, 

 and he fell. We were only too glad to be able to re- 

 duce our speed likewise, but we had no sooner stopped 

 to breathe than he was again up and after us. At 

 length, however, we gained the tree and we beheld 

 him with satisfaction stretched powerless upon the 

 ground, but not dead, within two hundred yards of us. 



We retreated under cover of the forest to the spot at 

 which we had left the horses, fortunately meeting no 

 opposition from wild animals, and we shortly arrived 

 at the village at which we took up our quarters, vowing 

 vengeance on the following morning for the defeat that 

 we had sustained. 



A man is a poor defenceless wretch if left to defend 

 himself against wild animals with the simple natural 

 weapon of arms, legs and teeth. A tom-cat would 

 almost be a match for him. He has legs which will 

 neither serve him for pursuit or escape if he is forced 

 to trust only in his speed. He has strength of limb, 

 which is useless without some artificial weapon. He 



