xv RHINOCEROS REGAINS CONSCIOUSNESS 275 



placing all our scanty baggage on the ground in its 

 shade, returned to cut up what we believed to be 

 the carcase of a dead animal. 



One of my Kafirs, by name Soga, a big strong 

 Makalaka, at once plunged his assegai into the 

 body of the prostrate rhinoceros and commenced to 

 cut through the thick skin, pulling the blade of the 

 assegai towards him with a sawing motion. This 

 incision should have extended from near the top of 

 the back behind the shoulder-blade to the bottom 

 of the chest, and would have been the first step in 

 peeling the whole hide from the tipper surface of 

 the body, preparatory to disembowelling the carcase 

 and cutting up the meat ; but when Soga had made 

 a cut about two and a half feet long in its side, the 

 limbs of the rhinoceros began to move spasmodically, 

 and it suddenly raised its head and brought it down 

 again with a thump on the ground. 



From that moment it commenced to struggle 

 frantically, and was evidently fast regaining con- 

 sciousness. I shouted to Soga to try and stab it in 

 the heart before it got on its legs ; but as he only 

 made a very feeble attempt to do so, I ran up, and 

 snatching the assegai from him, endeavoured to stab 

 the struggling animal to death myself. But it was 

 now fast regaining strength, and with every eiiort 

 to rise it threw up its head and brought it down 

 on the ground again with a thump. 



I managed to plunge the heavy assegai through 

 the cut in its skin and deep into its side, but with a 

 sudden spasmodic movement it broke the shaft in 

 two, leaving a short piece attached to the blade 

 sticking in its body. In another moment it was 

 standing on its legs, but kept reeling about like a 

 drunken man. I now ran to the tree where the 

 guns had been left, and taking the- loaded one, 

 aimed a shot at the still staggering rhinoceros, but, 

 as not infrequently happened in the old muzzle- 



