A RHINOCEROS HUNT. 251 



we detected the bones of giraffes, indicating the suc- 

 cess that had attended their formation. 



At mid-day we resumed our march, halting at sun- 

 set without water. The first part of this march lay 

 through dense forest, where we were obliged to cut a 

 pathway with our axes. Here the spoor of eland was 

 abundant. In the evening we passed through an open 

 tract very thinly wooded, where I saw abuiidance of 

 springbok and blue wildebeest. At midnight, the dogs 

 giving chase to some animal, I sprang out of bed, and, 

 following them in my shirt, found them standing over 

 a jackal. The guides skinned him, and, having baked 

 him in the ashes, they consumed him. 



On the 22d, ordering my men to move on toward a 

 fountain in the center of the plain, I rode forth with 

 Ruyter, and held east through a grove of lofty and 

 wide-spreading mimosas, most of which were more or 

 less damaged by the gigantic strength of a troop of ele- 

 phants, which had passed there about twelve months 

 before. Having proceeded about two miles with large 

 herds of game on every side,, I observed a crusty-look- 

 ing old bull borele, or black rhinoceros, cocking his ears 

 one hundred yards in advance. He had not observed 

 us; and soon after he walked slowly toward us, and 

 stood broadside tp, eating some wait-a-bit thorns within 

 fifty yards of me, I fired from my saddle, and sent a 

 bullet in behind his shoulder, upon whichhe rushed for- 

 ward about one hundred yards in tremendous conster- 

 nation, blowing like a grampus, and then stood looking 

 about him. Presently he made off. I followed, but 

 found it hard to come up with him. When I overtook 

 him I saw the blood running freely from his wound. 



The chase led -through a large herd of blue wilde- 

 beests, zebras, and springboks, which gazed at us in 



