ESCAPE OF NATIVE. 



ill 



and this time, although I had done nothing to it, not 

 even put on a fresh cap, both barrels went off.* 1 

 had hardly loaded again before we saw the black 

 fellow emerge from some bushes on the other side 

 the ravine, and walk across a sandy plain about 150 

 yards off, with a jaunty step, as if congratulating 

 himself on his prowess. Three bullets whistling 

 about his ears, and striking up the dust of the plain 

 before him, soon made him change his pace, and he 

 rapidly disappeared. This time, when it was of 

 little moment, the gun went off at the first trial ; 

 after this we saw no more of them, and the party 

 having reached the boat we slowly retired, burning 

 with vexation. It was the first time in my life in 

 which I had seen wounds (and, as it turned out, 

 death) inflicted in open field, or in any kind of strife, 

 and the sensations were as new to me as they were 

 unpleasant. A burning feeling of mixed rageandgriefi 

 and a kind of animal craving for revenge, seemed 

 to take possession of the heart, and a reluctance to 

 leave the spot till some kind of amends had been 

 obtained. A glance at the broken nature of the 

 country, however, full of scrubs and gullies, shewed 

 how impotent any pursuit would be ; and Yule, who 

 hastened off with the Doctor and the wounded man 



* The caps were very excellent, strong ones, of Pnrdy's make, 

 and were, in fact, too stout, for the springs of the lock of this 

 rubbishing piece of Belgian goods were not strong enough to 

 split the sides of the cap and drive it home upon the nipple, with- 

 out more than one blow. Thence the catastrophe ! 



