place ourselves where we might
perchance make closer acquaintance with other creatures of a similar or
perhaps even more ferocious kind. The eastern shore of the bay was a
swamp, and consequently out of the question. I therefore turned my
attention to the plain that formed the southern part of the island,
when, looking in that direction, I saw an animal of some sort squatting
on its hind-quarters on the beach, staring at us. It was only about a
quarter of a mile distant and, bringing the telescope to bear upon it, I
at once identified it as either the victorious fighter of the afternoon
or a creature similar in every respect. It was hardly likely to be the
same beast, however, for I thought it doubtful whether the long arm of
coincidence would bring the same creature within our ken again so soon;
moreover the animal at that moment focused by the lenses of the
telescope showed no wounds or other signs of recent battle.

"I'll have a shot at the beggar if he will only remain as he is half a
minute longer," I exclaimed. "Take the telescope, Billy, and watch.
I'll aim for his heart, and you will be able to see whether or not I
score a hit." And, thrusting the telescope into Billy's hands, I
snatched up a rifle.

"Four hundred and fifty yards should be about right," I muttered as I
adjusted the back sight of the weapon to that range; then, raising the
rifle to my shoulder and bringing the sights into line on that part of
the still motionless beast's body where I supposed its heart to be, I
pressed the trigger.

The "plop" of the bullet upon the creature's hide distinctly reached my
ear a second or two after the crack of the rifle; but instead of
toppling over, dead, as I fully expected, the beast simply wheeled about
and, in a sequence of enormous bounds, quickly vanished in the distance.

"By Jove!" I exclaimed, in amazement, "what an extraordinary thing.
I'll swear I hit him. I had him as neatly covered as possible; my hands
were as steady as rocks; and there is not enough wind to deflect the
bullet; furthermore, I heard it strike."

"Yes; so did I," agreed Billy. "I am certain that you hit the brute,
Mr Blackburn. I can't say for certain that I actually _saw_ the bullet
hit, but I believe that a second or two after you fired, and an instant
before the beast turned and bounded away, I saw a tiny dark spot on the
dirty white skin of its breast."

"I wonder whether you really did, or whether it was merely im