THE RHINOCEROS, 187

thorns within fifty yards of me. I fired from my saddle,
and sent a bullet in behind his shoulder, upon which he
rushed forward about one hundred yards in tremendous
consternation, blowing like a grampus, and then stood looking
about him. Presently he made off. I followed, but found
it hard to come up with him. The chase led through a
large herd of wildebeests, zebras, and springboks, which gazed
at us in utter amazement. At length I fired my second
barrel, but my horse was fidgety, and I missed. I continued
riding alongside of him, expecting in my ignorance, that at
length he would come to bay, which rhinoceroses never do;
when suddenly he fell flat on his broadside on the ground,
but, recovering his feet resumed his course as if nothing
had happened. Becoming at last annoyed at the length of
the chase, as I wished to keep my horse fresh for the elephants,
and being indifferent whether I got the rhinoceros or not, I
determined to bring matters to a crisis, so spurring my horse,
I dashed ahead, and rode right in his path. Upon this the
hideous monster instantly charged me in the most resolute
manner, blowing loudly through his nostrils; and although
I quickly wheeled about to my left, he followed me at such
a furious pace for several hundred yards, with his horrid
horny snout within a few yards of my horse’s tail, that my
little bushman, who was looking on in great alarm, thought
his master’s destruction inevitable. It was certainly a very
near thing; my horse was extremely afraid and exerted his
utmost energies on the occasion. The rhinoceros, however,
wheeled about and continued his former course, and I, being
perfectly satisfied with the interview which I had already
enjoyed with him, had no desire to cultivate his acquaint-
ance any further, and accordingly made for the camp.”
The Tame Some species of the rhinoceros, if not all, seem
Hhinoceros. to be tamable. The Indian variety distinguished
by the thick folds of heavy garment-like skin, which hang
from his shoulders, haun*hes and thighs, has been trained
?