202 THE UGLIEST BEAST IN THE WORLD 



deal more common in the South of Africa than they are at 

 present, as they have been forced by hunters further and 

 further north. The natives used to chase them with stones 

 and assegais, and so hungry or greedy were they, that even 

 a dinner of the beast's tough flesh was acceptable. Like 

 all animals with hoofs, the rhinoceros feeds on bushes 

 and plants, but this does not prevent his being very fierce 

 when attacked, or from trampling under his great feet 

 anything or anybody that happens to cross his path. 



The Namaquas are very cruel in their manner of 

 hunting the rhinoceros, but when once the animal is 

 wounded, and they think it can safely be approached, they 

 try, if possible, to climb on its back, and to thrust a lance 

 into a fatal spot behind the shoulder. 



One day a man had just succeeded in getting on to a 

 wounded black rhinoceros above its tail, when the creature 

 started up with a roar, scattering its enemies, who fled 

 for shelter behind a tree. But the tree was not large 

 enough to hide them all, and in a moment the rhinoceros 

 was rushing towards them, tearing up the ground with 

 its horns. The men sped away in all directions, till one 

 of them, getting angry, stopped, and looking the rhino- 

 ceros full in the face, called it by an ugly name. The 

 rhinoceros, surprised at this behaviour, stopped too, and 

 stared at the Namaqua, who, gaining courage, became still 

 more abusive. His words seemed to have a power that 

 all the stones had lacked, for the animal turned round 

 and began to beat a retreat, when the Namaqua seizing 

 its tail, sprang on its back, and aimed a deadly blow on 

 its shoulder. 



It is wonderful how well the men can aim with their 

 assegais, which are light-throwing spears, with long iron 

 heads. Some bushmen, going on a hunting expedition in 

 their own country, found the fresh trail of two rhino- 

 ceroses, and at once set about making their preparations. 

 They first built up a rough stone hut near the place, where 

 one of the men could lie hidden, with two assegais at 



