72 RHINOCEROS HUNT. 



Early one morning we reached Annis Fountain, where, as 

 on a previous occasion, we observed a number of rhinoceros 

 tracks. Leaving the men to take care of the oxen, Hans, 

 Stewardson, and myself selected the freshest " spoor," and 

 started off in pursuit ; but after several hours' hard walking 

 under a burning sun, we were apparently as far from the 

 quarry as ever, and Stewardson, who was quite knocked up, 

 used his best endeavors to persuade us from proceeding far- 

 ther. We would not listen to him, however, but, allowing 

 him to return to the encampment, continued to toil on, 

 though with but little hope of success. 



An hour might have elapsed after we had thus parted 

 from Stewardson when I observed in a distant glen a dark 

 object, which, as it excited my suspicion, I instantly pointed 

 out to Hans, who would not believe that it was any thing 

 but a large " boulder." Nevertheless, we proceeded toward 

 the spot, and I soon saw that the shapeless mass was nothing- 

 less than the rhinoceros of which we were in search. Hans, 

 however, who had had frequent opportunities of seeing this 

 animal in all positions, remained skeptical on the point, and 

 it was not till we were within about twenty paces of the 

 beast that his doubts were removed. With noiseless and 

 quickened step, and our guns on the fullest cock, we made up 

 to the monster, which still gave no signs of life. At last, 

 however, one of us whistled, on which, and with the rapidity 

 of thought, the beast sat up on its haunches, and surveyed us 

 with a curious and sulky look. But it was only a moment : 

 for, before he had time to get on his legs, two well-directed 

 balls laid him prostrate within less than half a dozen paces 

 of our feet. 



In the pride of success, I somewhat foolishly leaped upon 

 his back, and, African-like, plunged my hunting-knife into 

 the flesh, to ascertain if our prize was fat. But whether life 

 was not altogether extinct, or that the sudden access of my 

 weight caused a vibration in the lately-living body, certain it 



