A HORSE IN THE HUNT. 703 



siasm with which a man narrates such hunting adventures as 

 Baker and Oswell or Cu mining had. A horse puts life into 

 the sports of the tropics. We remember a scene which 

 Baker describes in his "Nile," that represents the perfection 

 of rhinoceros hunting, and the distinguished traveller de- 

 scribes the chase with an enthusiasm quite worthy of his 

 theme. It was in Abyssinia. He had left his camp in company 

 with a party of aggageers, those expert sword-hunters, whose 

 wonderful dexterity we have mentioned before, and after spend- 

 ing most of the day in collecting gum was returning, when at a 

 most unexpected moment he discovered a fine brace of rhi- 

 noceroses asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes ; handing his 

 reins to a follower he walked quietly to within about thirty 

 yards of his game; but before he could take aim they both 

 sprang suddenly to their feet Avith astonishing agility, and the 

 next instant one of them charged straight at him. The ball of 

 his rifle only served to turn the assailant, and the two animals 

 went thundering off together ; and away went the aggageers in 

 pursuit. Mr. Baker himself, springing into his saddle, joined 

 the chase, which we will allow him to tell in his own words : 



" The ground was awkward for riding at full speed, as it was 

 an open forest of mimosas, which though wide apart were very 

 difficult to avoid owing to the low crowns of spreading branches ; 

 these, being armed with fishhook thorns, would have been 

 serious on a collision. I kept the party in view until in about 

 a mile we arrived upon open ground. Here I again applied the 

 spurs, and by degrees I crept up, always gaining, until at length 

 I joined the aggageers. Here was a sight to drive a hunter 

 wild ! The two rhinoceroses were running neck and neck like 

 a pair of horses in harness, but bounding along at a tremendous 

 speed within ten yards of the leading Hamran. This was Taher 

 Sherrif, who, with his sword drawn and his long hair flying 

 wildly behind him, urged his horse forward in the race, amidst 

 a cloud of dust raised by the two huge but active beasts, that 

 tried every sinew of the horses. Roder Sherrif, with the with- 

 ered arm, was second ; with the reins hung over the hawk-like 

 claw which was all that remained of a hand, but with his naked 

 sword grasped in the right, he kept close to his brother, ready 

 to second his blow. Abou Do was third; his hair flying in the 



