Between Snow and Fire — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

= Eustace brought his piece to bear. But he did not fire. For like a flash he noted that the savage was aiming /x// at Carhayes’ back. The latter, sublimely unconscious of his deadly peril, was keenly alert on the look out for an enemy in the other direction. Eustace felt his heart going like a hammer, and he turned white and cold. ‘There in the wild bush, surrounded by ruthless enemies, the sweet face of Eanswyth passed before him, amid the smoke of powder and the crash of volleys. She was his now—his at last. The life which had stood between them now stood no more. With a frightful fascination, he crouched motionless. Carhayes was still unconscious of his imminent peril—his broad back turned full to the deadly tube of the savage. The distance was barely fifteen yards. The latter could not miss. It all passed like lightning—the awful, the scathing temptation. He could not do it. And with the thought, his finger pressed ever so lightly on the trigger, and the Kafir crashed heavily backward, shot through the brain— while the ball from his gun, which, with a supreme effort he had discharged in his death throes, hummed perilously near his intended victim’s head. * Hallo, Milne! You got in that shot just right,’ cried one of the men, who had turned in time to take in the situa- tion—not the whole of it, luckily. Eustace said nothing. His better nature had triumphed, Still, as he slipped a fresh cartridge into his smoking piece, there was a feeling of desolation upon him, as though the intoxicating sense of possessing the whole world had been within his grasp, and as suddenly reft from it again, The extremely critical position in which he—in which the whole party—stood, passed unheeded. ‘“ Fool!” whispered the tempting, gibing fiend. ‘ You had your opportunity and you threw it away. You will never have it again. She is pt to you forever now. Never can you hope to possess ert" And now the firing opened from an unexpected quarter— and behold, the bushy slope in front was alive with Kafir warriors. The patrol was entirely surrounded, and now the savages began to shout exultantly to each other. “We have got the white men ina hole,” they cried. “ Ha! * od = * ; a Hk LAST CARTRIDGE. ~~ 19 mae But just The he was perceived by one, and instinctively ec ,' - 3 e 7 , _q