Rhino, and how not to shoot them 



cocked. Why hadn't I cocked it all this time ? 

 Well, all this time was only a few seconds, and I 

 was so used to my hammerless weapons that 

 cocked with a movement of my thumb ; also, I 

 suppose, I had been intent on looking for the 

 rhino. I cocked, turned towards him, and brought 

 my rifle up ; but there was no time for more, my 

 movement or the click of the hammers had caused 

 him to locate me exactly, and putting his head 

 down, he was on me with a rush at least not 

 quite on me, for luckily in a flash I knew the 

 impossibility of stopping a rhino with a frontal 

 shot, and I was so close that an instant's delay 

 to get the sights on him, or even to simply press 

 the trigger, and I was caught, so dropping my 

 weapon and using both arms to clear the bushes, 

 I made two or three springs back ; I couldn't run 

 properly in the thorns. I expected every instant 

 to be hurled in the air, and I believe he was 

 almost touching me when I took a mighty header, 

 like jumping through a screen into a clump 

 of thorns at right angles to my former path. 

 Further movement was impossible ; I was pinned, 

 so lay like a mouse, feeling, I remember, a sense 

 of relief that there was no more to be done; 

 either he had seen my "jink," in which case I 

 should soon be a pulp, or he hadn't and I was 

 saved. Needless to say the latter was the case. 

 I waited some time, and then heard a whistle, 



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