280 A PICTURESQUE FINALE. [chap. ix. 



hunt. The Bushmen came to tell me that a black 

 rhinoceros was lying wounded under some trees, about 

 an hour oflf, and very savage, so I went to him and 

 put him up with a bullet as he lay twenty-five yards 

 from me. After the scrimmage which ensued, I ran 

 after him, he going a lame trot and I as hard as 

 I could pelt, putting three or four bullets into him 

 at long distances, and loading as I ran. At length 

 we came to the edge of an open flat that was about 

 200 hundred yards across. At the further side of 

 that was a mound, on the top of which stood a fine 

 overshadowing tree, and in the middle of the flat 

 was a scraggy rotten stump, and two or three dead 

 branches. The rhinoceros went across this, climbed 

 the mound, and stood at bay under the tree. I did 

 not much like crossing the open flat, but I thought I 

 could certainly run two yards to his three, which would 

 take me back in safety among the bushes, so I went 

 my best pace to the middle of the flat, keeping the 

 dead branches between me and him; they were a 

 mere nothing, but a rhinoceros' sight is never keen, 

 and his eyes were, I dare say, dim from his wounds. 

 As soon as I came to the tree, I dropped down on my 

 knee, steadied my shaking hand against one bough, 

 for I had run very far and was exhausted, and, resting 

 the muzzle of my heavy rifle in the fork of another, 

 took a quick shot and gave the beast a smart sharp 

 sounding blow with a well-placed bullet. He did not 

 start nor flinch, but slowly raised his head, and then 

 dropping it down, pom-ed volumes of crimson blood 

 from his mouth. He did this again and again; at 



