Year: 1873

INSTANTLY drew my hunting knife


ripped up the trowsers, and with q


steady hand cut out the arrow head


not sparing myself. then took my


flask. aud poured powder into the


wound. aud gently striking = match,


set fire to it. That done, l took of


my belt, aud using my full force,


strapped it little above as tight as II


would go.


do not think that In doing all this


! had any hope Of saving my life


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 l looked upon as my


murderer. rightly imagined 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 | soon heard the whiz Of an.


other arrow striking above. Moving


down about yard to where the over


hanging ferns would conceal me,


quietly raised my head; the ground


was slightly rising, and l could see


around for some distance. There was


my horse unccusciously grazing away,


but the grass was too long for me to
see my enemy's whereabouts. l, how
ever, guessed that he would try and
get between Us, aud 80 l waited,


watching and grasping my rifle.


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


Getting out rs quickly as possible, l
dragged myself-for the limb was now
much swollen, and becoming more
and more painful-to my saddle,
where carried in little bottle some
eau de luce for snake bites, and poured
out large dose. After drinking it 1
caught my horse, saddled it, and pick
ing up two Of the arrows. went to have
q look at the dead Bushman. He was
scarcely over four feet high, with arms
so long and thin as to reach deformi-
ty, short and bow-kneed legs support
ing little round body-he had evil
IDENTIFY not been starving lately-and
features 50 closely resembling those of
an intelligent ape that, had there been
a tail, no one would have thought
twice about the matter. I did not re-
main long; there was no time to lose;
80, taking his bow l mounted, and
putting the horse ut his best pace,
started on my long ride. knew per-
fectly well that the only chance, such
as it was, Of saving my life depended
on my reaching Ladysmith that night,
and obtaining medical assistance. =
The distance was fully sixty miles,
and, with but one exception, there
were nothing but Dutch Beers houses
Oh the road, whence l could not hope
for help. For the first twenty miles |
Kept steadily on my way, though the
agony was dreadful, and l could hard
y sit my horse. I then reached an
Englishman's farm, pulled up, told
ny story, and asked for spirits to keep
ny strength up, and the loan of
resh horse. shall not easily forget
lis wife's scared look as she came out
md saw me by the light Of her flick
ring candle. suppose I must have
eemed half mad. They brought me
'ut full bottle OF whiskey aud tum-
'ler, which l filled and drank of neat;
'ut they had not got horse "up;"
hey were, he said, all running, and it
would take hours to find them. So l
tarted again. do not remember
much more OF that wild moon-lit ride;


became drowsy and half delirious,
ust retaining sense enough to go
traight. How l did it do not know,
. for the greater part of the way there
vas no road, and even in daylight and
With nothing the matter should have
lesitated In more than one place.
However, Providence or instinct guild
d me right, and, as l was afterward
old-for remember nothing about it


reached the the town at A. NJ, Just
leven hours after had left. l had
lnished the whisky on the road and
was to that the doctor ascribed my
Ultimate recovery. For nine days |
vas in high fever and delirious, aud
t was more than six weeks before
,ot up, and for years afterward the
wound did not heal. Even to the
IRE sent day it occasionally bursts out
fresh, and will probably continue to
10 40 to the end Of nv existence.