238 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



carelessness of the sign they left, entirely unconscious of his 

 proximity. He had followed on in this manner for several 

 miles, taking care to expose his body as little as possible, and 

 indeed, advancing from tree to tree all the time, as if in a 

 bush fight. 



The sudden whistle of a deer, followed instantly by the 

 ring of two rifles close on his left, gave him warning that the 

 time for business had come. The Indians kept close, and as 

 he was peeping cautiously round a tree, endeavoring to get a 

 sight of them, a rifle ball from the right whizzed through the 

 heavy mass of black hair that fell down over his shoulders, 

 stinging his neck sharply as it grazed past. He crouched 

 instantly, and all was as still as death for a long time, for 

 the two on the left had taken the hint, and lay close, while 

 the Indian on the right did the same, while he reloaded and 

 watched for another chance. 



Here was a fix certainly for any common man, beleaguered 

 on two sides, and it might be on every side for all he could 

 tell. But from what is known of Harrod's character, I have 

 no doubt he enjoyed the fix ; for it was just such a one as 

 he delighted to get himself into, for the pleasure of getting 

 himself out again. 



The foot of the tree at which he crouched was surrounded 

 by bushes or shrubs about three feet high, and he was obliged 

 to lift his head above these before he could fire. He wore 

 his famous wolf-skin cap, as usual ; and after waiting till he 

 was convinced that there was no chance of getting a sight of 

 the cautious foe, he placed it upon the muzzle of his rifle, 

 and, after some prefatory manoeuvring among the shrubs, to 

 show that he was getting restless, gradually and cautiously 

 elevated the cap. 



The ring of the three rifles was almost simultaneous, as it 

 rose a little above the bushes, and before the echoes had died 

 away, the death-shriek of the warrior on the right followed 

 them into the shadows. Harrod lay still for a long time 



