Presently out of the bushes came a boat , and in it was the hunter . He headed straight towards Lightfoot , and then Lightfoot knew that his brief rest was at an end . He must once more swim or be shot by the hunter in the boat . So Lightfoot again struck out for the shore . His rest had given him new strength , but still he was very , very tired and swimming was hard work . Slowly , oh so slowly , he drew nearer to the bank . What new dangers might be waiting there , he did not know . He had never been on that side of the Big River . He knew nothing of the country on that side . But the uncertainty was better than the certainty behind him . He could hear the sound of the oars as the hunter in the boat did his best to get to him before he should reach the shore . On Lightfoot struggled . At last he felt bottom beneath his feet . He staggered up through some bushes along the bank and then for an instant it seemed to him his heart stopped beating . Right in front of him stood a man . He had come out into the back yard of the home of that man . It is doubtful which was the more surprised , Lightfoot or the man . Right then and there Lightfoot gave up in despair . He could n't run . It was all he could do to walk .
The long chase by the hounds on the other side of the Big River and the long swim across the Big XXXXX had taken all his strength .
Lightfoot Right River end feet heart home oars rest work