Year: 1873

any hope Of saving my life f; there was
only sort of feeling that was doing
my duty. The pain was not very great,
and my chief thought was for vengeance
on the malignant creature that I looked
upon as my murderer. 1 rightly ina
gined he was not aware of his success.
No doubt, he thought he had missed
me, and that was still lying asleep,
in proof of which I soon heard the whiz
of another arrow striking above. Nov
1 ing now about yard to where the over
| hanging ferns would conceal me, I
quietly raised my head the ground
was slightly rising, and I could see
around for some distance. There was
my horse uneonsciously grazing away,
but the grass was too long for me to see
my enerny's whereabouts. I, however,
guessed that he would try and get be-
tween us and so waited, watching,
and grasping my rife.


Ten minutes passed in silence, and
then I fancied that the grass was moving
unnaturally. In another second a hand
and bow appeared; heard little
twang, and saw the tiny messenger of
death again pierce the spot where I had
been. I kept myself from firing,
though I covered the place. Surely,
he would become impatient, and give
me a better chance. Another ten
minutes, and suddenly, in a different
spot, which commanded a better view
of my cap, little black head peered
over the grass. Tt was enough and, as
I fired, a shrill shrek and a spasmodic
spring into the air told me that I had
nothing more to fear.


Getting out as quickly as possible, I
dragged myself, for the limb was now
much swollen, and becoming more and
more painful, to my saddle, where 1
carried in bottle some eau de lace for
snake bites, and poured out a large
dose. After drinking it, caught my
horse, saddled it, and, picking mp two
of the arrows, went to have look at the
dead Bushman. He was scarcely over
four feet high, with arms so long and
thin as to reach deformity, short and
bow-kneed legs supporting little round
body, he had evidently not been starv-
ing lately, and features so closely re-
sembling those of an intelligent ape,
that, had there been n tail, no one would
have thought twice about the matter.
I did not remain long; there was no
time to lose; so, taking his bow, I
mounted, and putting the horse at his
best pace, started on my long ride. 1
knew perfectly well that the only
chance, such as it was, of saving my
life depended on my reaching Lady
smith that night, and obtaining medical
assistance. The distance was fully sixty
miles, and with but one exception, there
was nothing but Dutch beers houses on
the road; whence could not hope for
any help. For the first twenty miles I
kept steadily on my way, though the
agony was dreadful, and could hardly
sit on my horse. I then reached an
Englishman's farm, pulled mp, told my
story, and asked for spirits to keep my
strength up, and the loan of a fresh
horse. 1 shall not easily forget his
wife's scared look as she came out and
saw me by the light of her Pickering
candle. I suppose I must have seemed
half mad. They brought me out a full
bottle of whisky and a tumbler, which
filed and drank off neat but they
had not got horse cup" They were,
he said, all running, and it would take
hours to find them. So l started
again. I do not remember much more
of that wild, moonlight ride became
drowsy and half delirous, just stretaining
sense enough to go straight. How /
did it I do not know, as for the greater
part of the way there was no road, and,
even in daylight and with nothing the
matter, shsuId have hesitated in more
than one place. However, Providence
or instinct guided me right; and, as [
was afterward told, for I remember
nothing about it, reached the town at
IA. NJ, just eleven hours after I had
left. I had finished the whisbey on the
road, and it was to that the doctor
ascribed my ultimate recovery. For
nine days I was in high fever and de-
lirious, and it was more than six weeks
before got up; and for years after
ward the wound did not heal. Even to
the present day it occasionally bursts
out afresh, and viii probably continue
to do so to the end of my existence.-
Chambers Journal.