His rifle, which fortunately after cleaning he had reloaded, stood resting against the trunk of the tree.

He sprang toward and seized hold of it.

In another second it was raised to his shoulder; its muzzle pointed almost vertically upward, and circling around to get bearing upon the body of the bird.
It was a dangerous shot to take, like that of Tell with the arrow and the apple.

But it seemed yet more dangerous not to venture it; and with this reflection passing through his mind he watched the hornbill through several of its swoopings, and when at length in one of these it receded to some distance from Henry's face, he took quick sight upon it, and pulled trigger.
A splendid shot--a broken wing--a huge bird seen fluttering through the air to the earth--then flopping and screaming over the ground, till its cries were stilled and its strugglings terminated by a few blows from a boat-hook held in the hands of the ship-carpenter;--all this was the spectacle of only a few seconds!.