said to myself, "Well, I'll give the nondescript five minutes more, and if
it doesn't turn up by then, I'll blaze away at the pigeons." Half the
allotted time had barely elapsed, when another report broke the stillness
of the morning, and immediately afterwards I heard a rustling among the
mangrove-leaves, and a slight crackling, as though some heavy weight were
passing over the arched roots. I stayed quiet, almost breathless, as the
noise came nearer and nearer, and, turning my head, I peered through the
bush behind which I had taken up my quarters, and saw a fine-looking black
gliding cautiously from one to another of the interlaced mangroves. He was
evidently quite unsuspicious of any danger in front, and kept all his
faculties concentrated on the direction in which he had heard the
carbine-shots, which now followed each other rapidly, as the two gunners
fired at the birds as fast as they could load.

"Now," thought I, "if I can only cut you off so as to keep you between me
and them, I am pretty certain to capture you, my friend;" and, judging my
time, I rushed from behind my bush, and was within ten yards of him before
he saw me. In his amazement he dropped the long fish-spear with which he
was armed, stood one moment undetermined, and then made his way, with the
greatest agility, from tree to tree, not back towards my friends, as I had
fondly hoped, but straight for the bay. I followed as fast as I could, but
he went two paces to my one. I confess I felt sorely tempted to handicap
him with a charge of small shot, lodged somewhere about the calves of those
lean legs that were carrying him over the roots with such provoking
rapidity, and have often wondered since why I refrained; but I did, and
continued to scuttle after him, now slipping down and barking my shins, now
nearly losing my carbine, and often compelled to sprawl on all fours. He
was now forty or fifty yards ahead of me, and I was nearly giving up the
useless chase, when an unforeseen accident turned the tables in my favour,
and caused me to push on with redoubled vigour. As we approached the bay,