A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 170: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A QUEER RACER. <0) 167 bush or exposing my body, I brought my rifle to bear, and waited until the Cariberoes were in mid-stream, up to the arm-pits in water. ‘Then, taking deliberate aim, I shot the tall fellow who had first stepped into the water through the head. Down he went, and was swept away with the tide; but the others, after a moment of hesitation, gave a loud yell and charged ina body toward the bush. Wading in deep water is, however, slow work. I reloaded my rifle, fired again, and brought a second man down. ‘“* Surely,” I thought, ‘‘ that will stop them!” But no; they came on, if possible, more resolutely than before; and one rascal threw his spear with aim so true that had I not managed to ward off the stroke with my rifle, | should have been pinned to the ground. 1 gripped my revolver, loosened the knife which I car- ried at my belt, and prepared for a life-and-death strug- gle at close quarters. But the odds were fearfully against me—five to one—and | felt that there was now nothing for it but to sell my life as dearly as possible. Hark! The crack of a rifle up there beyond the bluff, the whistle of a bullet through the air, and a third Cariberoe drops stone dead, and is swept away by the tide. ‘“God bless you, Queen Mab! You have saved my life.” | The four surviving savages, now effectually cowed, pull up short, and, turning round, make back as fast as they can. J had already reloaded my rifle, and could easily have picked one of them off, but for pity’s sake I for- bore; the danger was past, and I felt that there had been slaughter enough. Mab, however, gave them a parting shot, which, though it hit ene of the fellows, did not ° seem to hurt him much; for, after a howl and a stumble, he continued his flight, and kept up with the others. As they disappeared among the reeds I sprung up the bluff, where, as I expected, I met the queen. ‘“Thank Heaven you are safe!’ she exclaimed, fer- vently. ‘I feared those wretches had killed you. Jam again your debtor for my life.” «It is the other way about: you have saved mine.” ‘“Oblige me by not talking nonsense, Mr. Erle,” she answered in her imperious way. ‘‘ Had you not stayed (ee) (E(0) mm C ool) SH