NOTES ON SOMALILAND, 97 
we had come, but I could see nothing, The Midgan had been carrying my 
Paradox gun loaded, and presuming that he had fired it in self-defence, ] 
thought no more about it, and on hearing the beast pass me, jumped up and 
started in pursuit, After going some 20\) yards, ] met Abdi and my camel 
man just emerging from cover, and they told me that the Rhino had broken 
back in their direction, and had fallen to his knees as he passed, but that he 
had quickly recovered himself and gone on again, I fully expected therefore 
to find him hors de combat at no great distance, and we were just beginning 
to pick up his track when we heard loud groans coming from behind us, and 
then I bethought me of Mahomed Midgan and the shot I had heard. We 
ran back as quickly as we could in the direction from which the sounds were 
coming, and there we found the boy lying on the giound with a heavy 
mimosa bush on the top of him, groaning and looking very sorry for himself, 
He was soon extricated from the thorns, and on further examination | found 
that little or no damage was done; he was bruised and scratched, and 
evidently a good deal shaken, but happily no bores were broken, According 
to his story, when he first saw the Rhino and darted aside to my right, he had 
reached but flimsy cover, and after my second shot he was endeavouring to 
better himself by making for a large mimosa bush close by, when the brute 
caught sight of him and came for him instantly, He had just reached the 
bush when he was overtaken, and the khin) brought him and the mimosa 
over together and at the same moment the “ Paradox,” which he was carry- 
ingon his shoulder, was knocked up into the air by the animal’s horn 
and fell to the ground beside him. From this moment the boy was saved 
any further attentions from his assailant, who now proceeded to pound the 
gun with his feet, or horn, eventually exploding one barrel. Such was the 
boy’s version of what had happened, On picking up the gun out of the sand, 
I found with infinite disgust that it was completely out of action. The barrels 
had been first bent almost double, close to the fore end; one cartridge had 
afterwards been discharged, and the bullet had torn open the barrel at the bend, 
But for this, I might somehow have straightened the barrels and used the 
gun for shot, but, as it is, it is absolutely useless—a good gun which I could 
ill spare, However, it was no time for sad reflections, A few minutes later 
I had Mahomed safely mounted upon my riding camel, and telling the c»mel- 
syce to bring him along in our wake, I and Abdi hurried after the Rhino, 
The travelling was now easy enough ; there was plenty of blood, both on 
the track and high up on the grass, and when we got to a little clear ground 
we found that his off shoulder must be broken, as he was going on three 
legs and dragging the other. One would hardly have expected him to go far 
in this condition, but nevertheless on he went, mile after mile, hour after 
hour, and showed no signs of stopping. At 4 o clock we were many miles from 
camp, and all more or less beat, having been going hard since the early morn- 
ing; so I thought it best to knock off for the day. Accordingly we made 
13 
