A TERRIBLE FIX.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 30, 29 December 1883, Page 2

A TE RRIBLE FIX.

i (t is now aboitt «!* ytiars since f fo«ned on# • .>! a. psirty of touv, ftll of us be.ing *>ld bfcndrf itthe game. We ni»dft our" camping ground rnther near to the Coast, When #c hart gotr •very thing settled uml madg pfoptffc..ifc wa# ibout four o'clock in the day and Svti had not shot a thinvr. "H ell, \Ve did not Hktf lie idea of eatiug our supper on ihe lilt i it* ng ground without game, so we determined hat two of us should go out and see if we 1 ;ould._not get. something. I volunteered ns me of the caterers', ShcT T took with me a Madras fellow 1 had picked up in ('a.cuttat few weeks before. 1 took a shot gitn ii* my hand, anti he cn>rrird->my doub!e-l>ar-oilod rifle. I had not* been away from) oamp More than half aii Hour" when 1 hnd brought down several tine plump birds* of MJleiont kinds. After going on Wa Hi tie 'iatance I cailie across, what T dHtected. tt't? once lisa- ti:.i'jr-},atJi. A« soon Hs I ttf-tdfc this discovery I told my man to return td !ie camp with the spoil, and to tell the" i hers 1 would return by the time tin 5 t*ei >ast w.is ready. I took from him 1 ;ny rijie ai.d half a dozen round* •fball cartridge. When I had lost sieht of iim 1 ft bonce proceeded to follow up the; ;iil in hopes that I might find the l«ir of iy -whiskered fuend, and that 1 mi" lit? ; lurhapfl be fortunate enough to get a ."hot Vj hiui. So intent, was lin thtJ ]jur.sui in .i hich I wag engaged that I had ftot noticed he quickness with which King Col v, as ii. iking hi* way to the west. There i^ no wilighi in India, or rathe V "very little. -H i-t the* jungle bdonming denser and ob 'curing the oblique rays of the potting sum, ' looked at. my watch, when I found insf»' id <f havin x been out an hour I bud been over : MO. A a soon as I became awaf'e of this* I | it once took beating* of the spot and .starred j j)ost-tia; to back in the direction of the uu;np. Whether it was my haste Or the dark shadow 1 - which the fast-departing sun cast, I can't i. iy, but before I had <jtiue ?eiy far* T knew i ton! v,u ious bigiis I had lo*t my way. [ \rastfo bid an Indifn to aHempt to io cover t\ c path I hnd hint. I knew my only* i iiance of ge<'ing back to our e.-.mp 1.-iy iw j Hading my way to the /'bore and iollowi-ig" up the hoast li'ie. I) therefore, by the aidi c»t ny ]) )ckot-compass, started in the diiuctiou of the sea, but ( ,\\liat with the denstf ma.->S oi rank lnxuriancrf and tlm swampy' tfioundj I was compelled to maUe man/ detouW. I had not ctfvered half the dia* tance M!)icj) I had calculated lay between me and the hwh when I found mysfelf 'nvi»lop<-d in thu vast folds of the cloak of dai'knei -i. You may imagine my soneationtf on finding myself aloueiji the jungle, nnd uiglit fairly set in. i am not naturally a* coward, but T must certainly awn to a vory [H-culiai feeling as I gi'Opod ni/ way, eSrery now an>l then stopping to «1 rik'fe a licrfet (I •ortunately had matches-) \\ order thnt $ i nvi^ht consult my faithful littltf compa^!. The stillness of the atmosphere was fig oppressive as the darkne&j and the silence' was fearful, only broken -now and thfcn by those devil? in the shape of animal*, the jackals, ur by the crying gfream of the" !«* ,••• r»x So far thy; soufifls had bedh far" enough a-\\ ay. but I kno\» tbnt I v. as in afogular hotbed of < -vihy— l »Ud rp t know the mii utc I mi ht ft el myselt m the plut' he- of QUq of the many I.,'ast- of p t -ey that he (vent thes«; ''pasture- gre .i." HuWevei, 1 kept plodding on, and felt sure I could not now have much further" to .-o beforo I got. ui^.ir ovt of th- jungle. h.nl ' Coulti it he p> ° ihle '• \ • "entlemon, I fovi'id my.-'eh sinking. ;>ud. in> <j)ito of c tionm>ui. uxei ii< n<, hi J. -s time; tUii" it hi 'cos me 1o toll yo'i. I f*sftnd mylclf' w ar-t-'docf) in a kind ot bog. 3 Ur 'id m1 v cp lli.it the m >io J tm'd to fre«; myself i .ef t! (>jiet I .sank: \\ hat amh 1 tt> do '! 1 ;iMf -orry to •■ay a M>ldiu's life doe" l t» gfnoi'nlly lead to (indlirn l>ut ii <\'-i af [irayel' went up to the Almighty, one* Weivt up the t '<ight. After tlio fif.-t feelings of duspl^r hf*l worn oti' I began to recover thy cdm-in -.s I v<'Ti('tiibcred I had a large brandy -fls»«sk. hnn ir «.ver my phoulder. 1 bat 1 . f( ry;oiteri td* .Savti if. bi-I.iii'.i at ti • cam,). Ito . ;i goodi |iull at i'..i<<, nnd \\\o,\ be^:in mnrc par-'•■•cu-arly fo examine in.o my ciivr.isis.anwsy 1 found, much 'o my jo>. th;tt I .lid not ink air> dct'ptr, theref> ie conclii<.ed the' Im<sI m<5 had a firm bottom. I also fdind ihat my rifle was dry, but the cartridges I haddropped loosely into my poclet tfere ruined and unserviceable. I knew That if afcts"?ked by any beast of prey I must leljf on the ammunition contamed in my rifle. Fortunately? both barrels- ere loalded witii 1 hall. T had made tliesef discovti-ies. and •ise'l'le.ivouiin 1^ tfi force my wnj throsijdv j tin 'k. hoa\\i mud and slimp in whl< ii I as imbeddr I, in a direction which, by the vtmo of the surface, gave me hopes of ♦\<?ing to firing round,- when my tlT.trlsyro avvested '">y a horrible roai, which apared to >h iko the very ground it-self by" •• ]>(»« er. I turned as \\ ell alB I'was able in' c di.-ectiun from whi«-5h thY sound ap■a•.■(•(' ""oproc.-el, but could sfe nol hing. J , } - >• >nr. " ' ; '".h to bo louder Ijan the fitft, then another, and* another ft 9 (juick and 1 peiccived stuiij-'ht-m iront of me two liviu ball.s of iire, which* ■'ippcuetf io make the wurrounding darkness < more t nick. I now certainly gave myself npforiosf T know to" weU'wheirce tlio.str I >t)iinds which had to abrujitly bi'oL< n the »iillne.ss (A the night procP^Hrd. I wm.s hi a terrible its, fastened in a &>£ tillable to ttun-e a foot<ait<^a tigei*'s ey'ea * 'vw y.ifds in front of me fhe only visibleobject. 1 have read eonievrhore that cal&f' ness is often the offspring of despair, and that as some people's trouble ii«sf«'^«s"KJj does t-i.eir foititutie. Whether I mnorPewtf , tlu'Se pei'bons I know not"; butt ld"o» know, that when I felt mn'ft of my- death'* a* I did i'.ow, i never once- lost my presence o£ mina. A.< soon as I cleanly made out ther two >p.u-kliug orbs, T- took steady aim ! r%ht bet \\ o(n them, and' thinking a> jirayef, I fired. Another horlibfe yell and g*owl, 'in< l tie beast's eyt^ still glaring a<B me inoi rly the same position. Atrain* i iire;-l-hid time there was no other .sound than* 'he 1 report, bufe wheA the' smoke cleaied,-. 1 licsrc vei c the eyes with their deadly glare"rixod upon me. I gaYe 1 myself up for k)st r md turned slightly away. lsftt no. 1 felt no veriomonscla^pfftrttff •ny fl^-'i, I felt no, hot breath, no^fiun^i'Jf ings t\ ere rending rf/e limb 1 from ii'lfib> 1 < ont?«* led in this horrible suspense fo*" f $ dai'c K^y, Jive minutes.- * Heaven only linmvssf what, ft loniesof htvrt'ui'ing I ttent through in hat k.iovb space ! I, then Ventured- W '' •u k .'i;,'{iin, m hen, , -h<3rroi? of he*ror> t " iluiTo were tlie Same pair of ey^r Miir ? to eat int^i my Very" RCH&r \i :h t'.eir horrible g^ha^tTy g.'ate^ Tt& «N»>d-t.-.ids ot petspirftif)!) rolled dowft ia«*- ' V hat could it ir.oan t '1 cried out a-lolid? J 'houkd, I screamed, I laughed, butftflt those eyes' shed fodth- their horribly •viieiulluihfc. I tried to shut my own, bub (ho t<;pri^v|e fnsi 'iuati^ii I was labnuring •mder compelled me to open tfiem *g«itir i'Keie they were, still glaring vi^ht into my •iine. tiefonging jfcerfthem I see a grinning,* hilcoiH lace. v In 5 my frenzy I scream, I svear, I pray; but, stilLtho hteady glare of Hho.se {'.•!{.' hfcf ul opiietr- *Hi in.- to burn iiit-o-uiv bwuui' In the 1 dissUmoe I now' "we 3 iii.ndt< th> of pairs of eyes advancing iipwj* in i. 1 *lv mt aloud with all my energy foif 1 :>GnA i « cou.'t! on, ti do their wo'i st.. I si-eirt »w tr« joining, UuvUiyiioul' tliv«vi»^ wiih tW '