Ii6 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



Its supposed miraculous powers do not, however, end 

 here, for if a man has been poisoned, a draught of water 

 from one of these cups, with a little of the horn scraped 

 into it, is considered almost equally efficacious. The 

 rhinoceros of this part of Africa is a nearly black smooth - 

 skinned animal, double horned, though bearing no com- 

 parison in this respect to one of its prototypes in Southern 

 Africa ; but, on the other hand, it is a much larger 

 animal, and, according to report, infinitely more savage. 

 Gumming and myself remained in camp, purporting to 

 have a quiet day ; but the Fates willed it otherwise, for 

 whilst at our unusually late breakfast there was a sud- 

 den call to arms, every Arab rushing off frantically for 

 his sword or spear, whilst Emanuel, Albert, and Bob 

 shouted to us to bring our rifles. For a moment we thought 

 that we were attacked by the Base*, but the cry from 

 Albert of ' a lion ! a lion ! ' as we ran up to the place where 

 they were assembling settled that point. Here we found 

 everyone laughing excepting one unfortunate Arab, who 

 with far more expression of stolid indifference than 

 of pain depicted in his face, held up to our view a horribly 

 mangled hand ; and then we were told that he thought 

 he would like to see how our large spring trap worked, 

 which we keep set at night, by touching it with a stick, 

 and he certainly did have a practical lesson that he is 

 not likely to forget soon. His yells were the cause of 

 the sudden alarm amongst his friends, who thought he 



