9 8 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
handle were solid silver, also the knob at the end, 
through which the tongue was riveted. He 
cautioned me to beware of striking a stone, and 
he evidently parted with regret from his familiar 
weapon. 
The calf was about 3^ ^ eet high, an d was 
standing by the body of its mother, evidently 
ignorant of her death. As I cautiously ap¬ 
proached, it looked much larger than when I had 
seen it at a distance, and I began to think the 
Arabs were right in their conclusion. There was 
not much time for reflection, for the young 
tartar gave an angry shake of its ugly head, 
emitted the usual three sharp whiffs, and charged 
at me as fast as it could gallop. 
I jumped quickly backwards, by a large rock, 
and it passed within 3 feet of me, but immediately 
halted, instead of continuing so far as the spot 
where the Arabs were in waiting with the ropes. 
It now turned round, and seeing me, it 
repeated its charge in reverse, as hard as it could 
go. I again jumped back, but as I did so, I 
delivered a lightning - like downward cut with 
Taher Noor’s favourite sword. The young 
rhinoceros fell stone-dead, all in a heap! 
The Arabs ran to the spot. Taher Noor took 
the sword carefully from my hand, and pointing 
it at arm’s length, he looked along the edge; he 
then wiped the blade upon the body of the 
rhinoceros, and, to prove the perfection of his 
weapon, he shaved a few hairs off his naked arm ; 
