XVI 
RHINOCEROS 
99 
then exclaimed with a deep sigh of pleasure and 
astonishment, “ Mashallah” and returned it to the 
scabbard. 
We now carefully examined the young rhinoceros. 
Although only a calf, it was a large animal, and 
the neck was about 15 inches thick. The blade 
had fortunately struck exactly between two 
vertebrae, and had slipped through the gristle as 
though it had been a carrot. Continuing its 
course, it had severed the neck completely, leaving 
only the thick skin of the throat, to which the 
head was still attached. 
This was a magnificent stroke, which delighted 
the sword - hunters, and I should much like to 
hear the story as it is now told by them, if alive, 
or by their descendants. They will assuredly 
have converted the calf into a full - grown 
rhinoceros, as the length of time now elapsed 
will have accounted for the change; but the 
incident will certainly be remembered, and 
narrated by the owner of the sword, and will be 
handed down to posterity with some few 
exaggerations. 
We opened and cleaned the calf, and the 
united efforts of six men secured it across a 
camel; we then cut the shields off the large 
rhinoceros, and took the calf to camp, as Taher 
Noor wished particularly to exhibit the trophy of 
his sword to the Sit (Lady Baker). 
As we arrived, we found a large body of 
Abyssinian hunters, who asked us for meat. 
