sted, that in one half-second I thought of nothing else. The animal
had arisen, and stood within three feet of me, whining hideously. His
eyes glared upon me with a wild and unnatural expression, his tongue
lolled out, and saliva fell copiously from his lips. _The dog was mad_!

"I saw that the dog was mad, as certainly as I saw the dog. I had seen
mad dogs before, and knew the symptoms well. It was hydrophobia of the
most dangerous character.

"Fear, quick and sudden, came over me. Fear is a tame word; horror I
should call it; and the phrase would not be too strong to express my
sensations at that moment. I knew myself to be in a situation of
extreme peril, and I saw not the way out of it. Death--death painful
and horrid--appeared to be nigh, appeared to confront me, glaring from
out the eyes of the hideous brute.

"Instinct had caused me to put myself in an attitude of defence. My
first instinct was a false one. I raised my gun, at the same moment
manipulating the lock, with the design of cocking her. In the confusion
of terror, I had even forgotten that both barrels were empty, that I had
just scattered their contents in the sea.

"I thought of re-loading; but a movement of the dog towards me showed
that that would be a dangerous experiment; and a third thought or
instinct directed me to turn the piece in my hand, and defend myself, if
necessary, with the butt. This instinct was instantly obeyed, and in a
second's time I held the piece clubbed and ready to strike.

"I had retreated backward until I stood in the stern of the skiff. The
dog had hitherto lain close up to the bow, but after the shots, he had
sprung up and taken a position nearer the centre of the boat. In fact,
he had been within biting distance of me before I had noticed his
madness. The position into which I had thus half involuntarily thrown
myself, offered me but a trifling security.

"Any one who has ever rowed an American skiff will remember that these
little vessels are `crank' to an extreme degree. Although boat-shaped
above, they are without keels, and a rude step will turn them bottom
upward in an instant. Even to stand upright in them, requires careful
balancing; but to fight a mad dog in one without being bitten, would
require the skill and adroitness of an acrobat. With all my caution, as
I half stood, half crouched in the stern, the skiff rocked from side to
side, and I was in danger of being pitched out. Should the