THE SMOOTH-BORE DOES ITS DUTY. 125 



the expected accumulation of the letters and newspapers 

 of two mails. 



Feb. 8. Vivian has had quite an exciting day, for, 

 starting out before sunrise in search of rhinoceros, he soon 

 found the track of one, and almost immediately came 

 within sight of him. He was then facing him, and not 

 more than twenty-five yards off, and by holding up his 

 head, and thus leaving his chest exposed, gave Vivian a 

 good shot with his ten-bore. He then turned sharply 

 round and went off at full speed, though severely 

 wounded, for he was tracked partly by his blood for four 

 or five hours, but he succeeded in escaping from his 

 pursuers, much to their mutual disgust. However, for- 

 tune was to favour them, for returning home another 

 fresh rhinoceros track was found, and soon afterwards, 

 when still on horseback, they saw one feeding in open 

 ground about thirty yards off. Vivian instantly dis- 

 mounted, and, after approaching afew yards nearer, dis- 

 charged the two barrels of his big gun at the right side. 

 There was no running away this time, for after giving one 

 loud whiff he charged straight down upon them. Fortu- 

 nately a bushy tree was at hand, behind which Vivian 

 sprang, and the rhinoceros passed on, but only to go 

 about two hundred yards, for then, after faltering for a 

 moment, he fell heavily to the ground and was dead 

 before they reached him. He measured over six feet 

 at the shoulder, and the first horn sixteen inches. The 



