SOUTH j:nN afiiica. 97 



time, the footsteps of four of these g-io-antic quadiMipe<ls, 

 but 110 living- objoctSj save a few sassayhes, one of which I 

 ibohshly shot, ^\ lieu four of my savag'es immediately slunk 

 behind to eat him. I was much struck with the spoor or 

 track of the camelopard — it A\'as different from everything" 

 I had seen or ima^'iued it Avould resemble. The lar'»'est 

 impression was eleven inches in leng-th, of })arallelogTainatic 

 form, tapered at the toe, and roiuided at the heel. I felt 

 singular satisfaction in finding- myself at leng-th treading* ou 

 g-round imprinted with the recent footsteps of that extraor- 

 dinary animal. 



I had ])\ this time ridden far in advance of the wao'cons, 

 and as night A\'as fast closing* around, I beg-an to be a})})re- 

 hensive that I should have to bivouac in the bush. The 

 savag'es appeared to contemplate the same conting-ency, and 

 evinced a vast long-ing- to join their companions, who had 

 wisely remained with the flesh-pots. I g-a\e them by sig'iis 

 to understand that I disapproved of such a measure, and we 

 all pushed on as briskly as possible. A contumacious rhino- 

 ceros* Avas standing- directly in our path, and, althoug-h 

 hailed repeatedly, refused to make Avay. There was just 

 lig-lit suflicient to admit of my discharging* both barrels of 

 my rifle into his unwieldy sides. Sneezing* violent^, and 

 wheezing*, he ran ofl' in the direction we were taking*, and 

 presently subsided in the path. We approached him a\ itii 

 caution, but he was dead. At the same moment a discharg-e 

 of musketry, and a brig*ht beacon fire bursting* forth, directed 

 oiu* benig-hted steps to the encampment. It was at the 

 termination of the forest, and not more than two hours' 

 journey from the residence of the king*. 



* Rhinoceros Africanus. Delineated in the Portraits of Game and Wild 

 Animals of South Africa. 



H 



