176 The Hunting Grounds 



a little trouble I managed to draw my knife, and 

 drove it up to the hilt in her body under the arm- 

 pits. She gave me an ugly hug, and fell over on her 

 side, pulling me with her. It was her last effort, and 

 I picked myself up quite out of puff, but not much 

 injured, having only received a slight claw on the 

 loins and another rather more severe on the instep. 

 I drew my pistol, which I could not manage to get 

 at before, to give her a settler, but it was not re- 

 quired the game was over, my antagonist was dead. 



Being covered with blood and dust from head to 

 foot, I must have presented a comical appearance to 

 B and D , who came rushing down in pur- 

 suit of the bear, which D had slightly wounded 



before she fell in with me. They had met the Mulli- 

 arry en route, who said that he had seen me killed ; 

 and no sooner did Googooloo get sight of this indivi- 

 dual than he sprang on him like a tiger, for his cow- 

 ardice in running away, and we had some difficulty 

 to prevent him from strangling him and in releasing 

 him from his clutches. 



One of the Coolies brought me the water-skin, and 

 I washed the blood away from my person and threw 

 off a part of my soiled clothes. I then tore off a part 

 of my shirt and bandaged up my loins and foot, which 

 latter bled considerably, and was very painful when I 

 walked, as the claws had penetrated gaiter, boot, and 

 stocking, entering the flesh to the depth of half an 



