-* Rhinoceroses 



to take the wounded man into my camp for three days, 

 as he could not arrange for his transport farther. 



So, whether I liked it or not, I had to undertake the 

 care of him, with the certainty that a speedy death would 

 release the man from his agony. To my surprise, he 

 was still alive the next day, but towards evening his 

 agony became so great that his sobs and groans were 

 almost unbearable. He begged, he entreated, for help ; 

 and so, although at that time I was only provided with 

 absolute necessaries, I gave him my whole store of opium, 

 assuming that he would by this means find relief and 

 never wake again. 



But there is no reckoning on the constitution of a 

 black man. After another twenty-four hours he was still 

 alive ; and now the effects of my dose of opium began 

 to show themselves in an alarming manner. Again he 

 besought me to help him. But I was altogether at a 

 loss. My small stock of medicines, that I might have 

 employed to counteract the opium, had been used up long 

 ago. At last it occurred to me to administer a bottle of 

 salad oil that was still in my possession. I was successful. 

 The next day the man was taken away, and, as I heard 

 later, recovered from the terrible injury, contrary to all 

 expectations. 



Similar cases do not always turn out so fortunately, 

 and frequently end in the death of the person in question. 

 Sometimes the rhinoceros only tosses his victim once in 

 the air, at the same time piercing him with his horns. 

 At other times he returns to his enemy and renews the 

 attack. I myself have been pressed to the last extremity 



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