Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 1.djvu/92

66 means my equal in strength or address with the weapon; and his vindictiveness and rage gave me a still greater advantage over him. At last, losing all patience at finding himself foiled and slightly wounded, he gathered himself up for a great effort, and aimed with all his force a blow at my heart. Luckily, I received the thrust in the folds of my serapé; and; in return, succeeded in wounding him severely on the back, before he had time to recover his equilibrium. He fell; and before his friends could bind up the wound, or stay the blood which issued from it, he had fainted. The moment they prepared to carry him away, however, with his little remaining strength he fiercely leaped out of their arms, and threw himself once more upon me, foaming with rage and pain, his figure stained with streams of blood. I kept him off this time with little difficulty, and again he fainted from loss of blood. As they bore him away, I could see that, on reviving, his eyes were yet bent fixedly on mine, with a glare of deadly and implacable enmity!

" 'l knew he would have his revenge—I expected it: but I was little prepared for the atrocious cruelty of his vengeance!