XVI 
RHINOCEROS 
97 
turning round twice, and uttering a peculiar squeak¬ 
ing sound like the bellows arrangement of a crying 
doll, it fell to the ground and died. We now 
observed a fine young animal which was standing 
upon the opposite side of the mother, and I 
suggested to my famous Hamran hunters that we 
should call up the camels and endeavour to 
secure the calf with our good supply of ropes. 
This was quite opposed to their ideas, as the 
young one was sufficiently advanced to boast of a 
pair of small horns, which the Arabs declared to be 
too formidable to warrant an attempt at capture. 
I thought otherwise, therefore I arranged that 
we should make a trial. The camels were 
brought, and the ropes arranged. Nooses were 
prepared, and I suggested that we should attempt 
to mob the young one, and then secure its legs. 
My Arabs declined this plan, as they rightly 
declared that the ground was unfavourable, 
owing to the number of large rocks, which would 
prevent them from getting out of harm’s way 
should the animal charge. It was ultimately 
arranged that Taher Noor, my head Arab, was 
to lend me his sword, and that I was to go first, 
while they would follow with the ropes and 
nooses, to endeavour to trip up the calf should it 
charge past me. 
Taher Noor drew his sword. This was a 
beautiful blade, that had belonged to his family, 
and been handed from father to son for several 
generations; the cross hilt and fittings of the 
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