MR. OSWELL AND THE BLACK RHINOCEROS. 383 



ally saw the horn of the infuriated brute alongside of me ; 

 but, seemingly satisfied with his revenge, without attempting 

 to do further mischief, he started off at a canter from the 

 scene of action. My after-rider having by this time come 

 up, I rushed upon him, and, almost pulling him off the horse, 

 leaped into the saddle, and, without a hat, and my face 

 streaming with blood, was quickly in pursuit of the retreat- 

 ing beast, which I soon had the satisfaction to see stretched 

 lifeless at my feet. 



" My friend Captain Vardon, by whom I was accompa- 

 nied on this journey, soon after joined me, and, seeing my 

 head and face covered with blood, at first imagined me to be 

 mortally hurt or dying. However, with the exception of a 

 blow on the skull, occasioned by the stirrup-iron, which laid 

 my head open a few inches, I received no further injury ; but 

 the horse was killed on the spot." 



Again : " On another occasion, as I was bending my steps 

 toward my camp on foot, I espied, at no great distance, two 

 rhinoceroses of the species Keitloa. They were feeding, and 

 slowly approaching me. I immediately couched and quiet- 

 ly waited their arrival ; but, though they soon came within 

 range, from their constantly facing me, I was unable to fire, 

 well knowing the uselessness of a shot at the head. In a 

 short time they had approached so close that, on account of 

 the exposed nature of the ground, I could neither retreat nor 

 advance, and my position became highly critical. I was 

 afraid to fire ; for, even had I succeeded in killing one, the 

 other would, in all likelihood, have run over and trampled 

 me to death. In this dilemma the thought struck me that, 

 on account of their bad sight, I might possibly save myself 

 by trying to run past them. No time was to be lost ; and 

 accordingly, just as the leading animal almost touched me, I 

 stood up and dashed past it. The brute, however, was much 

 too quick for me, and before I had made good many paces, I 

 heard a violent snorting at my heels, and had only time to 



