arted
suddenly to my feet, and shouted as loud as I could.

My fears were but too well founded. At the first sound of my voice,
the leaders recoiled a few steps upon the main body, who stood still
for a few minutes, apparently in consultation, the result of which
was, that the firearms changed owners, and two bold fellows stepped to
the front, and, levelling their pieces, kept my naked body covered
with their muzzles, and only refrained from pulling triggers until
they should have arrived within killing distance. It was plain I had
no time to lose if I would once more try the river, the only chance
now remaining to me. I turned and hobbled away as fast as my wounded
limb would let me, plunged into the nearest pool, sprawled through the
next bog, crashed through the rushes, hopped along the dry ground upon
one foot, and scrambled helter-skelter towards the river, expecting
every moment to hear the report of the firearms, and to feel a handful
of slugs in my body. Never shall I forget the horrors of that chase. I
distanced my pursuers, however, and arrived at the margin of the
stream without having once presented a fair target to their aim. I did
not pause long upon the brink of the flood. They were now yelling like
blood-hounds, and their cries rung in my ears as I gained the very
spot where I had landed in the morning, and where I again took to the
water like a hunted deer, or rather like a hunted duck, for I dived
under, with as gentle a splash as possible, and keeping beneath the
surface as long as I could hold breath, rose at length a good fifty
yards from the shore, and full two hundred yards lower down.

I had no great cause for congratulation at my escape. The sun was
setting, night coming on, and here was I in the middle of the broad
stream of the Danube, sweeping on at the rate of five or six miles an
hour, with no other prospect in view than that of becoming food for
fishes in a very few hours at furthest, unless I could succeed in
making one of the islands I had seen in the morning. It was a strange
thing that I felt no fatigue, even after swimming an hour. I had
passed several small islands, but the rapid stream which they breasted
broke away so furiously from their sides, that I had not strength to
get near them. In their wake, I could see that the water was calm and
tranquil enough, but that tranquil water I could not reach. By and by,
as the darkness fell, I passed several islands much larger, and was
ab