among them suddenly I might alarm
them--I was, therefore, determined to remain concealed, and to follow
them when they should return homeward, being sure that they would lead
me, if not to the village of which I was in search, to another where I
might hope to be well received. The girls were all scattered about,
plucking the fruit from the bushes, when I heard a fearful scream, and
looking in the direction from whence it came, I saw one of those
dreadful monsters which had for days haunted my imagination, approaching
two of the girls. The creature was too far off to allow me to fire with
a certainty of killing him, and should I merely wound him, I should
probably only make him more savage; I therefore crept forward as rapidly
as I could, hoping to get close enough to shoot him before he could
seize either of the girls. One, overcome by terror, seemed scarcely
able to fly, or make an effort to escape, the others fled shrieking
away. Before I could get sufficiently close to make sure of my aim, the
hideous monster seized the hapless girl round the waist with one of his
long arms, and immediately began to make his way towards a neighbouring
tree. I dashed forward. Should he once get to my height up the
branches, nothing could save the girl, for even should I shoot him she
might be killed by the fall. I knew that by firing I ran the risk of
shooting her, but that risk must be run, her death was certain should he
escape with her. He had reached the first branch of a tree, scarcely
more than twelve feet from the ground, when I brought my rifle to bear
on him, I fired, aiming at his breast. As the bullet struck him he
uttered a terrific roar; but at the same moment opening his left arm,
which had encircled the girl, he let her fall, fortunately on a bed of
leaves. She was senseless. I was afraid that the monster would fall
upon her, and if so in his struggles he might tear her with his teeth
and claws, but he held fast to the bough, roaring loudly and striking
his breast. Under other circumstances I think that I should have put a
considerable distance between myself and the beast, but the life of a
fellow-creature was at stake. Summoning all the coolness I could
command, I reloaded and then shouted to the other girls to come back and
take their companion away. They all seemed to dread approaching the
monster. I was afraid that, should I go under the bough, he might
spring on me, and that the only safe mode of proc