Baynes turned weakly in the direction of the shore to see Malbihn
drawn up upon his elbows levelling his rifle at him. The Englishman
slid to the bottom of the canoe as a bullet whizzed above him.
Malbihn, sore hit, took longer in aiming, nor was his aim as sure
as formerly. With difficulty Baynes turned himself over on his
belly and grasping his revolver in his right hand drew himself up
until he could look over the edge of the canoe.
Malbihn saw him instantly and fired; but Baynes did not flinch or
duck. With painstaking care he aimed at the target upon the shore
from which he now was drifting with the current. His finger closed
upon the trigger--there was a flash and a report, and Malbihn's
giant frame jerked to the impact of another bullet.
But he was not yet dead. Again he aimed and fired, the bullet
splintering the gunwale of the canoe close by Baynes' face. Baynes
fired again as his canoe drifted further down stream and Malbihn
answered from the shore where he lay in a pool of his own blood.
And thus, doggedly, the two wounded men continued to carry on their
weird duel until the winding African river had carried the Hon.
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