received drove me upon a second of the gang, not one of those who had
listened to my expostulation; and he repeated the brutality. My
indignation was strongly excited by this treatment; and, after being
thrust backward and forward two or three times in this manner, I broke
through my assailants, and turned round to defend myself. The first that
advanced within my reach, was my original enemy. In the present moment I
listened to nothing but the dictates of passion, and I laid him at his
length on the earth. I was immediately assailed with sticks and
bludgeons on all sides, and presently received a blow that almost
deprived me of my senses. The man I had knocked down was now upon his
feet again, and aimed a stroke at me with a cutlass as I fell, which
took place in a deep wound upon my neck and shoulder. He was going to
repeat his blow. The two who had seemed to waver at first in their
animosity, afterwards appeared to me to join in the attack, urged either
by animal sympathy or the spirit of imitation. One of them however, as I
afterwards, understood seized the arm of the man who was going to strike
me a second time with his cutlass, and who would otherwise probably have
put an end to my existence. I could hear the words, "Damn it, enough,
enough! that is too bad, Gines!"--"How so?" replied a second voice; "he
will but pine here upon the forest, and die by inches: it will be an act
of charity to put him out of his pain."--It will be imagined that I was
not uninterested in this sort of debate. I made an effort to speak; my
voice failed me. I stretched out one hand with a gesture of entreaty.
"You shall not strike, by God!" said one of the voices; "why should we
be murderers?"--The side of forbearance at length prevailed. They
therefore contented themselves with stripping me of my coat and
waistcoat, and rolling me into a dry ditch. They then left me totally
regardless of my distressed condition, and the plentiful effusion of
blood, which streamed from my wound.