The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-19

ing at hot corner.
I had to keep shifting myself from
one to the other, firing almost with
out getting sight-that is, by the eye
alone, after the fashion Of the ex-
perts who break glass balls.
But quick as the work was. men
fell thick, and by the time that
had emptied the carbine of its twelve
cartridges the advance was for the
moment checked.
I rapidly pushed in some more cstr-
tridges, and hardly had I done so
when the enemy, seeing that we were
about to escape them altogether, came
on once more with tremendous yell.
By This time the two halves CT the
single tusk of the great bull alone
remained to be passed up.
l fired and fired as effectively MS be-
fore, but, Notwithstanding all that l
could do, some men escaped my hail
Of bullets, and began to ascend the
cliff.
Presently my rife was again empty.
slung it over my back, and draw
ing my revolver turned to make bolt
of it, the attackers being now quite
close; SIS I did so a spear struck the
cliff close to my head.
The last half of the tvsk was now
vanishing over the rock, and I sung
out to Gobo anG the other man who
had been pushing it up to vanish af-
ter it.
Gobo, poor fellow, required no Sec
ond in7itation; indeed, his haste was
his undoing.
He went at the projecting rock with
bound.
The end of the tusl was still project
ing over, and instead of grasping the
rock had caught at it.
1t twisted in his hand; he slipped,
he fell.
With one wild Shrek he vanished
into the abyss beneath, his falling body
brushing me as it passed.
For = moment we stood eghast, and
presently the dull thud Of his fall
smote upon our ears.
Poor fellow, he had met the fate
which, as he had declared, walked
about /, ose il Wambe's country.
Then, with an oath, the remaining
man sprang at the rock, and clambered
over it in safety.
Aghast at the awfulness Of what
had happened, 1 stood still, till
saw the great blade of a Matuka spear
pass up between my feet.
That brought me to my senses, and
I began to Chamber up the rock like
a cat.
was half way round it.
Already l had clasped the hand Of
that brave girl Maiwa, who had come
down to help me, the men having
scrambled forward with the ivory,
when felt hand seize my ankle.
Pull, Maiwa. pull!'' / gasped; and
she certainly did pull.
Maiwa was very muscular woman,
never before did so keenly appreciate
the advantages of the physical devel-
opment of females.
She tugged at my left arm, the saw
age below tugged at my right leg, till
I began to realize that something must
ere long give way.
Luckily I retained my presence Of
mind, like the man who, when fire
broke out in his house, threw his
mother-in-law out of the window and
carried bis mattress downstairs.
My right hand was still free, and in
it was my revolver, which was secured
to my wrist by q leather thong.
1t was cooked, and l simply held it
downward and fired.
The result was instantaneous-and,
so far as l am concerned, most salts
factory.
The bullet hit the man beneath me
somewhere. l am sure l don't know
where.
At any rate, be let go of my leg.
and plunged headlong into the gulf
beneath to join Gobo.
In another moment was on the top
of the rock. and going up the remain
ing step like q lamp-lighter.
A single other soldier appeared in
pursuit, but one Of my boys at the
top fired my elephant gun at him.
don't know if he hit him or only
frightened him; at any rate he van
ished whence he came.
l do know, however, that he very
nearly hit me, for 1 felt the wind of
the bullet.
Another thirty seconds, and I and
the woman Maiwa were at the top OF
the cliff, painting, but safe. -.-r-o"
(To be continued.)