lown over my head as I
fell. It makes a man mighty wide awake to be in the kind of box that I
was in. I scarcely knew where I was hurt, or whether I was hurt or not,
but turned right over on my face to crawl after my weapon. Unless you
have tried to get about with a smashed leg you don't know what pain is,
and I let out a howl like a bullock's.

This was the unluckiest noise that ever I made in my life. Up to then
Uma had stuck to her tree like a sensible woman, knowing she would be
only in the way; but as soon as she heard me sing out she ran forward.
The Winchester cracked again and down she went.

I had sat up, leg and all, to stop her; but when I saw her tumble I
clapped down again where I was, lay still, and felt the handle of my
knife. I had been scurried and put out before. No more of that for me.
He had knocked over my girl, I had got to fix him for it; and I lay
there and gritted my teeth, and footed up the chances. My leg was broke,
my gun was gone. Case had still ten shots in his Winchester. It looked a
kind of hopeless business. But I never despaired nor thought upon
despairing: that man had got to go.

For a goodish bit not one of us let on. Then I heard Case begin to move
nearer in the bush, but mighty careful. The image had burned out; there
were only a few coals left here and there, and the wood was main dark,
but had a kind of a low glow in it like a fire on its last legs. It was
by this that I made out Case's head looking at me over a big tuft of
ferns, and at the same time the brute saw me and shouldered his
Winchester. I lay quite still, and as good as looked into the barrel: it
was my last chance, but I thought my heart would have come right out of
its bearings. Then he fired. Lucky for me it was no shot-gun, for the
bullet struck within an inch of me and knocked the dirt in my eyes.

Just you try and see if you can lie quiet, and let a man take a sitting
shot at you and miss you by a hair. But I did, and lucky too. A while
Case stood with the Winchester at the port-arms; then he gave a little
laugh to himself and stepped round the ferns.

"Laugh!" thought I. "If you had the wit of a louse you would be
praying!"

I was all as taut as a ship's hawser or the spring of a watch, and as
soon as he came within reach of me I had him by the ankle, plucked the
feet right out from under him, laid him out, and was upon the top of
him, broken leg and all, before he breathed. His Winchester had gone the
s