oat about where I thought his heart was situated.
Away I went and procured my cord, threw the end over the limb, made a
noose, and got it in the pig's mouth and over his nose; then I hauled
away amid the most blood-curdling shrieks imaginable. I got him on his
hind legs, and then for the first time, as I took the knife from my
belt, I knew the full meaning of the word "coward." But the deed had to
be done, it would never do to let the animal die of old age while I
wanted meat; so, setting my teeth, plunge went the knife, and at the
same time in my eagerness to step back, down I fell backward over the
other pig, who turned and bit me in the thigh, and then as he rushed
away went full butt into his comrade, which broke the rope, and down
came the bleeding animal on top of me. I was in an awful state of filth,
and as I rose they both came at me again; in fact I might have been
seriously hurt had I not used my knife freely on the already-wounded
pig. Luckily the other ran away, or it might have been serious for me.
In falling a second time I went down with my leg under me, and could not
rise; but I drove the knife into the animal's breast with all my might,
and then, seizing him round the body with my arms, forced the hilt
further in with my chest, but instead of killing the beast, to my horror
the point came out of his back as he freed himself and walked away. I
rose and got out of the stye as nimbly as I possibly could, and sat down
to try and find my face through the accumulation of blood and filth,
which having done, I peeped over the stye wall, and found the pig still
alive; so, to end the poor thing's misery and my own, I took up my gun
and shot him dead. What a relief it was to see him lie stone still in an
instant. I vowed never to attempt a porcine murder again, and while I
was on the island the other pig had a good time of it, for as governor
of Jethou I abolished capital punishment, and if a pig's years were as
many as Methuselah's, he might enjoy them all before I should again
attempt to put a period to them.

From assassination to boat sailing is a long stride but at least a
change.

I performed two long voyages in my little craft; at least they seemed
long ones to me at the time, considering the dangers of navigation in
these rocky, swift seas.

[Illustration: A PORCINE MURDER.]

One trip was to Sark, which lies about six miles south-east of Jethou. I
selected a beautiful day in August for this trip, and s