408 RENCOUNTERS AVITH RHINOCEROSES. 



species Keitioa (a female, as it proved) stood drinking at the 

 water ; but her position, as with the elephant in the first in- 

 stance, was unfavorable for a good shot. As, however, she 

 was very near me, I thought I was pretty sure of breaking 

 her leg and thereby disabling her, and in this I succeeded. 

 My fire seemed to madden her : she rushed wildly forward on 

 three legs, when I gave her a second shot, though apparently 

 with little or no effect. I felt sorry at not being able to end 

 her sufferings at once ; but, as I was too well acquainted with 

 the habits of the rhinoceros to venture on pursuing her un- 

 der the circumstances, I determined to wait patiently for day- 

 light, and then destroy her with the aid of my dogs. But it 

 was not to be. 



As no more elephants or other large game appeared, 1 

 thought, after a time, it might be as well to go in search of the 

 white rhinoceros previously wounded ; and I was not long in 

 finding his carcass ; for my ball, as I supposed, had caused 

 his almost immediate death. 



In heading back to my " skarm," I accidentally took a turn 

 in the direction pursued by the black rhinoceros, and by ill 

 luck, as the event proved, at once encountered her. She was 

 still on her legs, but her position, as before, was unfavorable. 

 Hoping, however, to make her change it for a better, and 

 thus enable me to destroy her at once, I took up a stone, and 

 hurled it at her with all my force ; when, snorting horribly, 

 erecting her tail, keeping her head close to the ground, and 

 raising clouds of dust by her feet, she rushed at me with fear- 

 ful fury. I had only just time to level my rifle and fire be- 

 fore she was upon me ; and the next instant, while instinct- 

 ively turning round for the purpose of retreating, she laid me 

 prostrate. The shock was so violent as to send my rifle, pow- 

 der-flask, and ball-pouch, as also my cap, spinning in the air ; 

 the gun, indeed, as afterward ascertained, to a distance of 

 fully ten feet. On the beast charging me, it crossed my mind 

 that, unless gored at once by her horn, her impetus would be 



