AN ELEPHANT WOUNDED COUKAGEOUS DOG. 391 



The second night after my arrive,! at Abeghan, and when 

 lying in wait near the water for wild animals, I was surprised 

 by three huge bull-elephants, whose approach had been so 

 silent that, before I was aware of their presence, they were 

 within ten paces of me. I was ambushed in a very exposed 

 place, but nevertheless stoutly held my ground, and, taking a 

 steady aim at the fore leg of the leader, fired. As he wheeled 

 about I saluted him with the contents of the second barrel. 

 He gave a loud shriek, and, curling up his trunk, trotted 

 quickly away. The next day we followed many a weary 

 mile on his track. He had separated from the rest ; but we 

 were unable to overtake him. Some time afterward, how- 

 ever, I heard of his death. The Bushmen brought the tusks. 



The same evening I shot a couple of rhinoceroses. One 

 of them, on receiving my ball, made a headlong charge, and 

 was so close upon me that, to avoid actual contact, I threw 

 myself backward and fell to the ground. He then ran a lew 

 hundred yards, when he came to a stand. At break of day 

 my men went on his trail. He had still strength enough to 

 make a dash at them, and would probably have laid hold of 

 some of them, had not a small bitch (half terrier and half 

 bull dog), called " Venus" (in derision of her ugliness), caught 

 the enraged animal by the lower lip, where she stuck with 

 such tenacity that the rhinoceros, with all his fury, was un- 

 able to shake her off. She only relinquished her hold when 

 her huge antagonist was fairly laid prostrate by a ball. 



But the sagacity of this favorite dog was as great as her 

 courage. Being now in a game country, all sorts of beasts 

 of prey abounded, more especially jackals, which might be 

 seen running about by dozens. In order not to frighten the 

 elephants and other large animals, we were in the habit of 

 encamping some little way from the water, to which Miss 

 " Venus" regularly resorte^J to bathe and drink. On perceiv- 

 ing a jackal, she instantly crouched, looking very timid. 

 " Reynard," mistaking her posture as an indication of fear, 



