620 THE WHITE RHINOCEROS: 



at dark, and proceeding straightway to the nearest pool. Having refreshed himself, he takes 

 long journeys in search of food, and returns to his temporary home soon after sunrise. When 

 sleeping, he lies so still that he may easily be mistaken for a fragment of dark rock. 



As the eyes are set deeply in the head of the Rhinoceros, it is unable to see objects 

 directly in its front if they are at any distance, its sight being hindered by the horns. But 

 the hearing and scent of the creature are marvellously acute, and so wary is the animal, that 

 even when feeding it will constantly halt, raise its ears, snuff the wind, and will not return to 

 its occupation until its fears have been allayed. 



The Keitloa can readily be recognized by the horns, which are of considerable length, 

 and nearly equal to each other in measurement. This is always a morose and ill-tempered 

 animal, and is even more to be dreaded than the borele, on account of its greater size, strength, 

 and length of horn. The upper lip of the Keitloa overlaps the lower even more than that of 

 the borele ; the neck is longer in proportion, and the head is not so thickly covered with 

 wrinkles. At its birth the horns of this animal are only indicated by a prominence on the 

 nose, and at the age of two years the horn is hardly more than an inch in length. At six 

 years of age it is nine or ten inches long, and does not reach its full measurement until the 

 lapse of considerable time. 



The Keitloa is a terribly dangerous opponent, and its charge is so wonderfully swift, that 

 it can hardly be avoided. One of these animals that had been wounded by Mr. Andersson, 

 charged suddenly upon him, knocked him down, fortunately missing her stroke with her 

 horns, and went fairly over him, leaving him to struggle out from between her hind legs. 

 Scarcely had she passed than she turned, and made a second charge, cutting his leg from the 

 knee to the hip with her horn, and knocking him over with a blow on the shoulder from her 

 fore-feet. She might easily have completed her revenge by killing him on the spot, but she 

 then left him, and plunging into a neighboring thicket, began to plunge about and snort, per- 

 mitting her victim to make his escape. In the course of the day the same beast attacked a 

 half-caste boy who was in attendance on Mr. Andersson, and would probably have killed him 

 had she not been intercepted by the hunter, who came to the rescue with his gun. After 

 receiving several bullets, the Rhinoceros fell to the ground, and Mr. Andersson walked up to 

 her, put the muzzle of the rifle to her ear, and was just about to pull the trigger, when she 

 again leaped to her feet. He hastily tired and rushed away, pursued by the infuriated animal, 

 which, however, fell dead just as he threw himself into a bush for safety. The race was such 

 a close one, that as he lay in the bush he could touch the dead Rhinoceros with his rifle, so 

 that another moment would probably have been fatal to him. 



The common White Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros simus) is considerably larger than the two 

 preceding animals, and together with the kobaoba, or long-horned white Rhinoceros, is 

 remarkable for its square muzzle and elongated head. The foremost horn of this animal is of 

 very considerable length, attaining a measurement of more than three feet when fully grown. 

 The second horn is short and conical, like that of the borele. Fortunately for the human 

 inhabitants of the regions where the White Rhinoceros dwells, its temper is remarkably quiet, 

 and devoid of that restless irritability and sudden access of rage which is so distinguishing a 

 quality of the two black species. Even when wounded it seldom turns upon its antagonist, 

 but contents itself with endeavoring to make its escape. Sometimes, however, probably 

 when it has its young to protect, it will assume the offensive, and is then even more to be 

 dreaded than its black relatives. The following anecdote, which was related by Mr. Oswell, 

 the hero of the tale, to Mr. Andersson, affords an instance of this rare display of combat- 

 iveness : — 



"Once as I was returning from an elephant chase, I observed a huge White Rhinoceros a 

 short, distance ahead. I was riding a most excellent hunter — the best and fleetest steed that I 

 ever possessed during my shooting excursions in Africa — at the time ; but it was a rule with 

 me never to pursue a Rhinoceros on horseback, and simply because this animal is so much 



