166 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



Mr. Edmonstone, on perceiving this, immediately cocked 

 his gun, and 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. Edmon- 

 stone and his two Indian chiefs to the ground. The 

 Maroons did not stand to reload, but on Mr. Edmon- 

 stone'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, " Oh 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 hus- 

 band's body, covered it with her hair, bewailing his 

 untimely end with the most heart-rending cries. 



The blood was now running out of Mr. Edmonstone's 

 shoes. On being raised up, he ordered his men to pur- 

 sue the flying Maroons, requesting at the same time 

 that he might be left where he had fallen, as he felt 



