388 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



large ant-hill, within ten feet of where I stood, and 

 charged directly at me. At the time, I did not have 

 my rifle in my hands, and so I satisfied myself by 

 jumping to one side, and allowing the animal to pass 

 on. He charged straight at the portion of the cara- 

 van just behind me. In a moment I had seized my 

 rifle, and sent shot after shot into his receding form. 

 As he neared the porters, they, having heard my 

 shots and being on their guard, received him with a 

 volley from their carbines. This, however, did not 

 turn him ; he charged on and on, until finally slain 

 by Lieutenant von Hohnel's body-guard, within ten 

 feet of his litter. 



By this time, owing to the frequency and results 

 of these rhinoceros charges, the men were completely 

 demoralized. At the crack of a twig or the cry of 

 a bird they would throw down their loads, and clam- 

 ber with agility into a bush. On several occasions 

 the porters detailed to bear Lieutenant von Hohnel, 

 allowed his litter to fall to the ground in their 

 eagerness to escape. At night, our camp was filled 

 with murmurs ; the men said a " shaitan " (devil) was 

 evidently following the caravan, and would not be 

 appeased, until every one of us had been killed. I 

 could hear them say to one another that the presence 

 of a dying man like Lieutenant von Hohnel in a 

 caravan would certainly incur disaster ; it was much 

 better to stop until he died ; and then, perhaps, all 

 trouble would cease. 



One night we were encamped near the river, and 

 all of us, with the exception of the two Soudanese 

 on guard, were sound asleep. Suddenly from the 



