wn and spit at me like a spiteful cat, laying his ears back
and showing his teeth. I fired straight at him at once, and must have
hit him; but he still did not move for about an instant. Then with a
bound he came close to me, and, just as I was drawing my knife, sprung
on me, at the same time seizing the arm with which I tried to keep him
off, and fixing his claws into my shoulders. The pain was so great that
I shrieked out; but there was no one within five miles to help me, and I
knew that I must fight the battle myself for my life. My right arm
being free, I plunged my long knife into the brute's stomach and ripped
him up to the chest, and gave him one or two digs behind the shoulder,
which must have found his heart, as he suddenly relaxed his hold and
fell down from me. The flesh on my thighs was badly torn, as he had
fixed his hind-legs there and scratched me, as I have seen two kittens
do to each other at play. This struggle was all over in a few seconds,
but I had been knocked down, torn, and my arm broken during the time. I
tried to get up, but felt giddy and queer, and fell back on the ground
insensible.

"When I again came to myself, and knew all that had happened, it was
quite dark, and I found myself very cold. I tried to get up, but came
again to the ground, from pain and weakness. I was in great agony, and
felt dreadfully thirsty. A little stream ran down the kloof, and I
could hear the water rippling along merrily within a few yards, and yet
I could not move. I must have bled very much, as my legs were awfully
torn as well as my shoulders, and my arm broken. I could not judge at
all what time it was, as, where I lay, the trees prevented my getting
much of a view of the stars, and there was no moon to judge by. I lay
thinking whether I should live or die, and what my friends and Katrine
would think had become of me. The only probable chance of any one
coming to help me seemed to be that my pony would go home when he found
I did not return to him. A Hottentot then might see him, think
something was the matter, and perhaps spoor me to where I lay. I was
hoping anxiously for daylight, as I would then try and load my gun, and
fire some shots, which would probably be heard at a distance. I so
frequently went away for a day or so and stopped at my brother's, that I
did not think the people at the house would be at all alarmed at my
absence during the night. I thought over all that had happened to