Beaching out, he cut a swathe of reeds, drew them towards him with the knife-blade, packed them under his chin and breast, then rolled over on to this firmer support, after a strong and steady pull.

Repeating the performance, he managed to get one knee on to a bedding of reeds, then with one violent effort freed himself and reached hard ground.
This incident shook him up so, that coming, after another effort, to the open where he had left the buck, he gave up the struggle, seeing that he must think of some other plan if he wished to get alive out of this prison.
First he rested until his strength came back, then he cleaned his mud-covered rifle, and scraped the black ooze off his clothes with the knife.

Then he heard a murmur in the reeds--a snap, then a rustle; a long pause, then a rustling again.

He stood up with rifle ready, and he saw a reed shake about ten yards away, then heard it snap.

He shouted, and the rustling ceased, to break out after an interval on the other side.