ZOOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY 
BULLETIN 8: 
WHITE RHINOCEROS AT HOME 
When hunted during the torrid hours of the day, they love to cool off and linger in far-extending swamps 
ing, but the Judge wanted to continue for an- 
other half hour. 
Ten minutes later Mr. Smets and 
oat Coes Matari, with rifles shouldered, 
Quarters 
with an were a hundred yards ahead. This 
Angry was the one day I did not carry 
Bull mine, and now I even turned my 
‘amera over to Alimasi. In this short grass 
country I felt sure a wounded rhinoceros would 
not lie down. But suddenly, hardly ten 
feet beyond me, the wounded beast arose 
like a ghost. He made straight for me. 
It was impossible to jump aside. Here indeed 
was the chance of my life, not to photograph— 
but to run, and to run fast. One glance back and 
I saw my camera dancing on the back of the on- 
Alimasi had hoped to turn his 
course by hurling my photographic outfit at him, 
but on he came faster still. 
coming brute. 
Just one cluster of gnarled trees about sixty 
Both 
the rhinoceros and I went at top speed, and both 
landed at the same spot. When I dared look 
again there was not an inch between me and 
the source of furies. In fact the sharp tip of his 
front horn reached beyond my ankles. But he 
was in front of the trees and I behind, as safe 
as if an iron wall had sprung from the ground. 
With the terrific rush he had rammed _ his 
horns between the trunks, in that one stroke con- 
yards off was my only chance for safety. 
centrating all his revenge. For the second time 
that day he was caught, now held fast by the 
horns. Try as he might he could only groan 
and rage. Finally with a mighty effort he broke 
free. Mr. Smets, rushing up, aimed, shot, and 
brought him down in a flash. My friend took 
no further interest in the noisy brute, and, 
turning to me, started to joke, but I was still 
absorbed in its struggles. 
And then, heavens! It rose again, shook it- 
self, and started to run. The Judge would 
not fire a second time. He knew he had hit his 
With every step the rhinoceros gained 
disap- 
mark. 
greater 
peared in the jungle. 
“What did you look for in your left pocket 
when you were playing hide-and-seek with the 
vigor—and suddenly turning, 
rhinoceros?’ Mr. Smets asked, “Your pistol was 
at your right.” I answered, “It was of no use 
for me to shoot with a pistol. I wanted my 
spare glasses, not to lose one precious moment of 
a spectacle one can not see twice.” This was 
the finale of our day’s work—it had all the 
settings of a movie story, and with not even a 
line of pictures to show. 
The night was cool and we hur- 
The ried, too tired to walk slow or to 
Bull stop. At ten we reached camp. 
Wee Next morning at daybreak I saw 
Secured ae is a ; 
the Judge’s swollen foot protrud- 
ing from the blankets; he had run against an 
