XVI II A RHINOCEROS CALF 



39 



standing close beside his horse, which did not mani- 

 fest the slightest alarm at the near proximity of the 

 uncouth-looking and, no doubt to him, strangely- 

 smelling little beast. The young rhinoceros, too, 

 that was scarcely larger than a half-grown pig, did 

 not seem at all frightened when either Wood or 

 myself, or any of the Kafirs approached it, but stood 

 quite still when we went up to it and passed our 

 hands down its back. It was, of course, too young 

 to have any sign of horns, but two round patches on 

 the nose showed where they would in time have grown ; 

 in other respects, with its prehensile lip, large ears, 

 and little twinkling eyes, it was a perfect miniature 

 of an adult black rhinoceros. One circumstance, I 

 remember, that struck me at the time was that it 

 sweated most profusely all over the back, which I 

 never remember to have seen an adult animal do. 

 As we found that it followed Wood's horse as closely 

 as if it had been its own mother, we determined to 

 try and get it to the waggons, which were about six 

 miles distant, and endeavour to rear it on thin gruel, 

 for, unfortunately, we had no milch cows with us ; 

 so, leaving the Kafirs to cut up the old cow, we rode 

 home, the little rhinoceros following us like a dog 

 the whole way. The heat of the sun seemed to give 

 it great inconvenience, for it halted and remained 

 behind beneath every shady tree ; but, as soon as the 

 horse was about twenty yards ahead, it would twist 

 up its little tail, give a squeal, and come trotting up 

 alongside of it again. At last we reached the waggons, 

 when of a sudden the nature of the hitherto quiet 

 little beast seemed changed ; whether it was the sight 

 of the dogs, that came barking round it, or of the 

 waggons, or the tout ensemble of sights and smells 

 with which its eyes and nostrils were assailed, I know 



