52 Recollections of Adventures 



and had a Mr. Bell with him, a tall young fellow, 

 just out from England. Bell went down the reedy 

 banks with a shot gun after snipe and had a little 

 spaniel with him. Suddenly a white rhinoceros rushed 

 out of the reeds after the dog. Bell fired, but the 

 shot would not even tickle him. The dog made for 

 the wagon, ran under it, the half blind rhinoceros 

 followed, ran against the wagon, and got his horn 

 into the " aftertrap " full of pots and kettles, with 

 which he made off, taking it some distance, scatter- 

 ing these utensils about the veld to the astonishment 

 and delight of the native boys. Had it been a black, 

 instead of a silly old white rhinoceros, it would have 

 been a different joke, as the blacks are savage and 

 active. 



While hunting on the flats below Matala's 

 Mountain, I hired some of his men to carry skins 

 and meat, horns, etc., to the camp for me, the price 

 to be paid was eight head of either quagga, wilde- 

 beest (brindled gnu), or hartebeest, for a fortnight's 

 work. I found a troop of wildebeest, killed five, and 

 wounded one badly while running him down in the 

 dust made by the herd ; my horse went into a hole 

 and rolled over on to me. The stock of the gun 

 broke, it went off, the bullet passing through the 

 rim of my hat ; I was stunned and my shoulder and 

 hand hurt, and when the Kaffirs came up to me I 

 was still dazed and did not know where I was. This 

 was the only time I remember losing my way in the 

 bush veld. The horse's jaw was out of joint and I 

 did not know what to do, but a Boer at the camp 

 knocked it back into the socket with his leather 

 bandolier full of bullets, certainly a primitive, but 

 effectual treatment which would have astonished a 

 " vet." 



There is some grand and wild scenery in Matala's 

 and Mapela's countries, and a splendid hunting 



