The Rajah's Fortress — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

68 THE RAJAH'S FORTRESS. The loud report echoed over the water, and with acry of pain the Indian threw up his arms and toppled off the edge of the log with asullen splash, while Melton gave a shout of satisfaction. He shouted a little too soon. The crafty Dalo was far from being a dead man, though he came within an ace of it ( Melton’s bullet having gone through his arm above the elbow without touching the bone), and the instant he struck the water in his cleverly managed fall, he turned over and dived straight down, so that while Melton was peering ahead in his search for the body, Dalo shot quietly to the surface behind. He still retained his hold on the broken knife. The blade was useless, but the hilt was of hard and polished metal, and taking the blade between his fingers regardless of its sharp edge he made two or three noiseless strokes that brought him to the edge of the log. Then lifting himself partly up with one hand, with the other he brought the heavy handle of the knife down on Melton’s head with crushing force. Without a groan Forbes rolled off into the water, and Dalo, not even glancing towards his victim, coolly pulled himself to the log and floated down the river. Now that the crime was over the Indian actually appeared sorry, for a look of penitence appeared on his features. and he muttered half aloud, *“* That sahib was a brave man. [ liked not to kill him,” COLUM 1OOO SS co