me. The force of all knocked me down, and made me very giddy and
faint, but as I fell I heard the savage yells of the natives' delight and
triumph; these recalled me to myself, and, roused by momentary rage and
indignation, I made a strong effort, rallied, and in a moment was on my
legs; the spear was wrenched from my wound, and my haversack drawn
closely over it, that neither my own party nor the natives might see it,
and I advanced again steadily to the rock. The man became alarmed and
threatened me with his club, yelling most furiously; but as I neared the
rock behind which all but his head and arm was covered he fled towards an
adjoining one, dodging dexterously, according to the native manner of
confusing an assailant and avoiding the cast of his spear; but he was
scarcely uncovered in his flight when my rifle ball pierced him through
the back between the shoulders, and he fell heavily on his face with a
deep groan.

DISPERSION OF HIS FOLLOWERS.

The effect was electrical. The tumult of the combat had ceased: not
another spear was thrown, not another yell was uttered. Native after
native dropped away and noiselessly disappeared. I stood alone with the
wretched savage dying before me, and my two men close to me behind the
rocks, in the attitude of deep attention; and as I looked round upon the
dark rocks and forests, now suddenly silent and lifeless but for the
sight of the unhappy being who lay on the ground before me, I could have
thought that the whole affair had been a horrid dream.

For a second or two I gazed on the scene and then returned to my former
position. I took my gun from Coles, which he had not yet finished
loading, and gave him the rifle. I then went up to the other man, and
gave him two balls to hold, but when I placed them in his hands they
rolled upon the earth--he could not hold them, for he was completely
paralysed with terror, and they fell through his fingers; the
perspiration streamed from every pore; he was ghastly pale and trembled
from head to foot; his limbs refused their functions; his eyes were so
fixed in the direction in which the natives had disappeared that I could
draw his attention to nothing else; and he still continued repeating,
"Good God, sir! look at them, look at them."

The natives had all now concealed themselves, but they were not far off.
Presently the wounded man made an effort to raise himself slowly from the
ground: some of them instantly came from behind the roc