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the stroke by leaping toward the left hand. 

 Mr. Bonpland, who walked on my right, was 

 less fortunate. He did not see the Zambo so 

 soon as I did, and received a stroke above the 

 temple, that levelled him with the ground. We 

 were alone, without arms, half a league from 

 any habitation, on a vast plain bounded by the 

 sea. The Zambo, instead of attacking me, 

 moved off slowly to lay hold of Mr. Bonpland's 

 hat, which, after somewhat deadening the vio- 

 lence of the blow, had fallen at a distance. Af- 

 frighted at seeing my companion on the ground, 

 and for some moments senseless, I thought of 

 him only. I helped him to raise himself, and 

 pain and anger doubled his strength. We ran 

 toward the Zambo, who, either from coward- 

 ice, common enough in this cast, or because 

 he perceived at a distance some men on the 

 beach, did not wait for us, but ran off toward 

 the Tunal, a little thicket of cactus and arbor- 

 escent avicennia. He chanced to fall in run- 

 ning ; Mr. Bonpland, who reached him first, 

 seized him round the body, and exposed him- 

 self to the most imminent danger. The Zambo 

 drew a long knife from his pantaloons, and in 

 this unequal struggle we should infallibly have 

 been wounded, if some Biscayan merchants, 

 who were taking the air on the beach, had not 

 come to our assistance. The Zambo seeing 

 himself surrounded, thought no longer of de- 



