THE HORN OF THE RHINOCEROS. 221 



CHAPTER XII. 



My Hottentots object to advance further into the Interior — A Boar 

 Hunt — We march through a charming Country — The Mountain Pass 

 of Sesetabie — A Lion and Lioness inspect my Cattle, and the Lion 

 pays for peeping — Hungry Hyaenas sup upon the Cattle Furniture — 

 The Camelopard — Description of its Habits — Booby, a Bechuana 

 Kraal — Gun Medicine — Disastrous Finale to an Incantation — Native 

 Conspiracy to prevent my further Progress. 



At an early hour on the 7th we arose, and, having 

 loaded the pack-horse with a burden of flesh and fat, I 

 dispatched one of the Baquaines with him to camp. 

 Carollus and I then rode for the rhinoceros to secure 

 the horn. On nearing the carcass, a noble bull buffalo 

 stood within thirty yards of me, but I had omitted to 

 put on my caps. Lions had consumed a large part of 

 the rhinoceros, and had sneaked ofT on hearing us ap- 

 proach, leaving, as is usual, matted locks from their 

 shaggy gray manes sticking on the broken points of th b 

 projecting ribs. My dogs, on scenting them, ran baik 

 ing angrily in the direction which the lions had hcH, 

 springing up into the air with their hair bristling alai^ 

 their backs. With considerable difhculty we separate** 

 the horn of the muchocho from the skin by means of a 

 long, sharp knife. It was nearly three feet in length, 

 and measured almost a foot in diameter at the bae^. 

 This being accomplished, wc returned to camp. He^e 

 I found that Isaac had not been idle in forwarding his 

 own views. I at once saw that my followers had some- 

 thing unusual on their minds ; blackness and dismay 

 were plainly written on every countenance. I had 



