SOME GREAT PACHYDERMS 89 



the calf every one of them fled, leaving 

 Fleisher alone. After much difficulty and 

 one or two narrow escapes, Fleisher succeeded 

 in shooting the mother and, rushing forward, 

 seized the baby rhinoceros. It was only a 

 few weeks old, but so wonderfully strong and 

 vigorous that it was almost impossible for 

 one man to hold it. 



The Austrian, however, was not to be 

 daunted, but grasped the calf firmly round 

 the neck, which was doubly difficult to hold 

 on account of the thickness and slipperiness 

 of its skin. The young rhinoceros promptly 

 ran off, taking his captor with him, not let- 

 ting any little things such as dragging him 

 through the thick thorny bushes, with their 

 long "bide-a-wee" thorns, stop him. He 

 kept this up briskly for half an hour, until 

 the Austrian's clothes were torn to ribbons; 

 he was terribly torn and scratched and faint 

 from exhaustion. But, in spite of all this, 

 Fleisher held on desperately until at last the 

 calf was so exhausted that he had to partly 

 submit to his captor. 



