296 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



a trial. The camels were brought, nnd the ropes arranged. Nooses 

 were prepared, and I suggested that we should attempt to mob the 

 young one, and then secure its legs. 



My Arabs declined this plan, as they rightly declared that the 

 ground was unfavourable, owing to the number of large rocks, 

 which would prevent them from getting out of harm's way should 

 the animal charge. It was ultimately arranged that Taher Noor, 

 my head Arab, was to lend me his sword, and that I was to go 

 first, while they would follow with the ropes and nooses, to en- 

 deavour to trip up the calf should it charge past me. 



Taher Noor drew his sword. This was a beautiful blade, that 

 had belonged to his family, and been handed from father to son for 

 several generations ; the cross hilt and fittings of the handle were 

 solid silver, also the knob at the end, through which the tongue 

 was riveted. He cautioned me to beware of striking a stone, and 

 he evidently parted with regret from his familiar weapon. 



The calf was about 3* feet high, and was standing by the body 

 of its mother, evidently ignorant of her death. As I cautiously 

 approached, it looked much larger than when I had seen it at a 

 distance, and I began to think the Arabs were right in their con- 

 clusion. There was not much time for reflection, for the young 

 tartar gave an angry shake of its ugly head, emitted the usual three 

 sharp whiffs, and charged at me as fast as it could gallop. 



I jumped quickly backwards, by a large rock, and it passed 

 within 3 feet of me, but immediately halted, instead of continuing 

 so far as the spot where the Arabs were in waiting with the ropes. 



It now turned round, and seeing me, it repeated its charge in 

 reverse, as hard as it could go. I again jumped back, but as I did 

 so, I delivered a lightning-like downward cut with Taher Noor's 

 favourite sword. The young rhinoceros fell stone-dead, all in a 

 heap ! 



The Arabs ran to the spot. Taher Noor took the sword care- 

 fully from my hand, and pointing it at arm's length, he looked 

 along the edge ; he then wiped the blade upon the body of the 

 rhinoceros, and, to prove the perfection of his weapon, he shaved a 

 few hairs off his naked arm ; then exclaimed with a deep sigh of 

 pleasure and astonishment, " Mashallah" and returned it to the 

 scabbard. 



We now carefully examined the young rhinoceros. Although 

 only a calf, it was a large animal, and the neck was about 15 

 inches thick. The blade had fortunately struck exactly between 

 two vertebrae, and had slipped through the gristle as though it 

 had been a carrot. Continuing its course, it had severed the neck 



