Year: 1873

IL Is. L nau nOC long 10 WalC WIZ
came a tiny arrow, striking the
stone on which my head had been
resting, and where my cap still was.
/ did not require much thinking to
know that Bushman's hand held
the bow it had come from, nor to
determine that the best thing for
me to do was to roll quietly into
the bed of the little brook below
me. Luckily this would afford
good shelter, and I could almost
reach the edge with my hand.


The tremendous violence with
which these streams come down
from the hills during the heavy
thunder-storms, wears deep pas
sage even in the hardest ground
and, though there was only about
an inch of water, and it was not a
yard broad, the banks were to the





full four feet high. Leaving my
cap where it was, I rolled over as
quietly as could; but just as /
was disappearing, another arrow
came and struck me in the thigh,
the only part not yet in safety. 1t
took all my self-control to continue
my movements as before until /
stood crouching at the bottom.
"Why," the reader may exclaim,
"the pain of such tiny arrow
could not be so very great" No,
neither is the bite of a snake in it
self; yet of the two the latter is the
least to be dreaded. 1t was poison
ed with that deadly skill for which
the whole tribe is famous and, as
I stood below, / knew l had little
chance of seeing another sunrise.


However, with that self-help that
men who lead a solitary life acquire,
l instantly drew my hunting-knife,
ripped up the trousers, and with a
steady hand cut out the arrow
head, not sparing myself. l then
took my flask and poured powder
into the wound, and, gently strik-
ing a match, set fire to it. That
done, l took off my belt, and using
my full force, strapped it little
above, as tight as it would go.


/ do not think that in doing all
this l had any hope of saving my
life ; there was only a sort of feel
ing that l was doing my duty. The
pain was not very great, and my
chief thought was for vengeance on
the malignant creature, that / look
ed on as my murderer. l rightly
imagined he was not aware of his
success. No doubt he thought he
had missed me, and that l was still
lying asleep-in proof of which /
soon heard the whiz of another ar
row striking above. Moving down
about a yard, to where the over
hanging ferns would conceal me, |



quietly raised my head; the ground
was slightly rising, and could see
around for some distance. There
was my horse unconsciously graz
ing away, but the grass was too
long for me to see my enemy's
whereabouts. |, however, guessed
that he would try and get between
us; and so / waited, watching and
grasping my rifle.


Ten minutes passed in silence,
and then / fancied that the grass
was moving unnaturally. In an
other second, hand and bow ap-
peared ; l heard little twang, and
saw the tiny messenger of death
again pierce the spot where l had
been. l kept myself from firing,
though l covered the place. Sure
ly he would become impatient, and
give me better opportunity. An
other ten minutes, and suddenly, in
a different spot, which commanded
a better view of my cap, little
black head peered over the grass.
1t was enough; i fired, a shrill
shrek and a spasmodic spring into
the air told me l had nothing more
to fear.


Getting out az quickly as possi-
BILE dragged myself-for the limb
was now much swollen, and becom-
ing more and more painful-to my
saddle, where / carried in little
bottle some edu de htce for snake
bites, and poured out large dose.
After taking it, / caught my horse,
saddled it, and picked up 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 doformity,
short and bow-kneed legs support