A STRCGnLE FOR LIFE. 



541 



myself shot by some of tlie brave ones beliind 

 me. The second mate, who was the only real maii 

 among them all^ seked a lai^ge sheath-knife, and 

 climbed into the boat to help me, I knew it would 

 not do to attempt to stiike the monster with a 

 knife where he had room enough to defend him- 

 self; I therefore threw it down, and seized a short 

 handspike of iron- wood, the only weapon within my 

 reach, and told the second mate to raise the deck, 

 and I would attempt to finish my antagonist with 

 the clnb, for the thought of escaping while I could, 

 and leave for others to do what belonged to me, 

 never entered my mind, As the deck rose I beheld 

 him coiled up about two feet and a half from my 

 right foot. Suffering the acutest f^ony from the 

 deep wound I had already given him, he raised his 

 head high out of the midst of his huge coil, his red 

 jaws wide open, and his eyes flashing fire like live 

 coals. I felt the blood chill ha my veins as, for an 

 instant, we glanced into each other's eyes, and both 

 instinctively realized that one of us two must die on 

 that spot, He darted at my foot, hoping to fasten 

 his fangs in my canvas shoe, but I was too <juick for 

 him, and gave him such a blow over the head and 

 neck that he was glad to ocjil up again. This gave 

 me time to prepare to deal him another blow, and 

 thus for about fifteen minutes I continued to stidke 

 with all my might, and three or four times his jaws 

 eame within two or three inches of my canvas shoe. 

 I began now to feel my strength failing, and that I 

 could not hold out more than a moment longer, yet, in 

 that moment, fortunately, the cai^enter got his wits 



