236 NARROW ESCAPES MORTIFICATION. 



imal, on receiving a mortal wound, charged me with such 

 fury as to carry completely away the fore part of my " skarm,'- 

 and I only saved my life by throwing myself with great force 

 against the opposite wall, which fortunately gave way. 



At another time I was walking leisurely up to a huge 

 female white rhinoceros, that Mr. Galton had killed during 

 the preceding night, when all at once its calf, about the size 

 of an ox, rushed upon me from behind the carcass. Its 

 movements were so rapid that I had neither time to get out 

 of its way nor to level my. gun; but passing the barrel, like 

 a stick, against its chest, I fired, and, as luck would have it, 

 the ball caused the calf to swerve on one side and take it- 

 self oiF. A short time afterward, and at no great distance 

 from our encampment, it was found dead. 



Being tired of shooting, and having got all the informa- 

 tion we could from the Bushmen, we bent our steps home- 

 ward. Our failure in not reaching the Lake Ngami deeply 

 mortified me. Night and day I was haunted by the thought. 

 Taking every thing into consideration, I could not help think- 

 ing that, under more favorable circumstances, success would 

 crown my endeavors, were I determined to renew the at- 

 tempt. Accordingly, I made up my mind first to see my 

 friend safe from the African shore, and then to return as soon 

 as the rains had fallen. 



I communicated my resolve to IVIr. Galton, who at once 

 fully entered into my views ; and as I had neither oxen nor 

 wagons, he kindly promised to supply me with both, as also 

 with such articles of barter as his own reduced stores af- 

 forded. 



After nearly a month's absence, we found ourselves safe 

 at Elephant Fountain. Notwithstanding we had been al- 

 most solely living on fresh meat during this time, we had 

 only used the one half of a small copper-cap box* of salt ! I 



* A copper-cap box, for the information of my female readers, is 

 ^botit the size of a ]u]l-box. 



