AN ACCIDENT. IJl 



vice. In a moment I comprehended their intention. 

 It was the baby rhinoceros they contemplated sacri- 

 ficing with such gusto. Now this was exactly what 

 I had resolved that they should not do, for already 

 I had formed a decision that it should be captured 

 alive, and, if possible, domesticated, and ultimately 

 taken out of the country. My attendants evidently 

 did not at first appreciate my humanity, but I gave 

 them to understand that I must be obeyed. As we 

 approached the carcass of the mother we soon 

 became convinced that the youngster would give us 

 no end of trouble, and that he was determined, cost 

 what it might, to defend his parent's carcass from 

 the pollution of human touch. Certainly our new 

 antagonist was not formidable from his height, 

 about ten hands, but he was very heavy in pro- 

 portion, and possessed of an amount of speed 

 and dexterity that was wonderful. My people 

 evidently knew that they had their work cut out for 

 them to secure this creature, and so approached it 

 with considerable caution. Not so with myself; 

 ignorance of danger, as it often does, made me too 

 self-confident, so when the little beast charged, the 

 Zulus dodged on one side or ran away, for the poor 

 little thing would not go any distance from its 

 mother's body. I was admiring one of these 

 chevies and thinking to myself if the " boys " would 

 only stand their ground they would intimidate the 

 cantankerous youngster, when, like a shot, it wheeled 



