A LUCKY ESCAPE. 
161 
vided they obtained leave to do so ; but to force any 
entry without permission Avas an offence, and they Avere 
aware of that fact. On further exploration of the 
bath-room, I Avas led, by my nose, to a suspended 
bunch of almost putrid meat, Avhich I felt sure belonged 
to my gluttonous friend Anole ; this I hurled into the 
bush—a sufficient punishment and the only one prac¬ 
ticable, as Anole Avas far and aAvay too splendid a liar 
to eA r er admit any Avrongdoing. 
My fever left me before morning, and the day resulted 
in my obtaining capital sport, though at one moment I 
Avas the mark rather than the marksman. I had killed 
one fair rhino, and seen many zebra and hartebeest, 
Avhen, by ascending a small hill, I overlooked an arid 
extent of plain, enlivened by tAvo herds of Granti and 
four rhinos. I Avent for the Granti first, and after 
some little trouble killed a good buck Avith horns 
tAventy-three and a half inches in length; I then 
turned my attention to a big rhino coav and calf, the 
central features of a wide flat area clothed Avith young 
grass interrupted by a single ant-hill of no great size. 
The stalk Avas very difficult and Avearisome, but I 
succeeded in craAvling to within one hundred yards of 
the mark, my favourite gun-bearer, Faas, folloAving Avith 
my eight-bore. Suddenly I Avas deafened by an explo¬ 
sion, and distinctly felt the wind of a large bullet as it 
Avhizzed past my ear. For a moment I Avas too dazed 
to exactly realise Avhat had happened, but, on recover¬ 
ing my Avits, recognised Iioav narrow my escape had 
been, as nine times out of ten the rifle, carried by a 
