GUMMING ATTACKED BY A MAARIFF. 139 



tree close by, and having despatched the maariff, which 

 had such a strong objection to die that it required 

 three more bullets in the head and neck, he laid down 

 and waited for the return of Hamet. The leg had by 

 this time become painful and stiff, but as they were two 

 hours or more from home, there was nothing to be done 

 but to ride home. Singularly enough, they had not 

 gone fifty yards before they saw standing under a tree 

 close to them the rhinoceros they had in vain sought for 

 all the morning. All thought of the wounded leg in a 

 moment vanished, and jumping off his horse Gumming 

 fired one shot at the rhinoceros, and as it started off 

 another at the hind-quarter without any apparent effect. 

 They then started in pursuit, but very quickly pulled up 

 on hearing a sudden crashing sound amongst the mimosas, 

 and immediately they saw the rhinoceros with head down 

 charging directly upon them, and only ten yards off. 

 Another ball, this time in the head, turned it once 

 again, and it was instantly lost amongst the thick 

 trees. Tracking was renewed, though only for a few 

 hundred yards, for now the wound in the leg began to 

 tell, and Gumming was compelled to give up the hunt 

 and come home as best he could, riding side-saddle. 

 On his arrival in camp, there was found to be a large 

 gaping wound in the outer and fleshy part of the right 

 thigh of considerable depth, judging from the length 

 of the external wound and the pointed nature of the 



