Neither, I believe, did I ever feel it bite me.

At length I became so hopeless of catching it, that I no longer troubled myself either to look for it by day, or lie in wait for it at night.

I knew from my growing weakness that I was losing blood at a dangerous rate, but I cared little for that: in sight of my eyes death was yielding to life; a soul was gathering strength to save me from loneliness; we would go away together, and I should speedily recover! The garments were at length finished, and, contemplating my handiwork with no small satisfaction, I proceeded to mat layers of the fibre into sandals.
One night I woke suddenly, breathless and faint, and longing after air, and had risen to crawl from the cave, when a slight rustle in the leaves of the couch set me listening motionless.
"I caught the vile thing," said a feeble voice, in my mother-tongue; "I caught it in the very act!" She was alive! she spoke! I dared not yield to my transport lest I should terrify her.
"What creature ?" I breathed, rather than said.
"The creature," she answered, "that was biting you." "What was it ?" "A great white leech." "How big ?" I pursued, forcing myself to be calm.
"Not far from six feet long, I should think," she answered.
"You have saved my life, perhaps!--But how could you touch the horrid thing! How brave of you!" I cried.
"I did!" was all her answer, and I thought she shuddered.
"Where is it?
What could you do with such a monster ?" "I threw it in the river." "Then it will come again, I fear!" "I do not think I could have killed it, even had I known how!--I heard you moaning, and got up to see what disturbed you; saw the frightful thing at your neck, and pulled it away.

But I could not hold it, and was hardly able to throw it from me.

I only heard it splash in the water!" "We'll kill it next time!" I said; but with that I turned faint, sought the open air, but fell.
When I came to myself the sun was up.