Part 31 (1/2)

”There were three animals which you did not observe,” said Swinton; ”but it was iet at them, they were so far off; but we must try for them another tiest of the antelope tribe,” replied Swinton, ”and the best eating of theh at the chest, and eigh nearly 2,000 lbs It has the head of an antelope, but the body is ht horns, but they are not dangerous They are easily run down, for, generally speaking, they are very fat and incapable of much exertion”

”We will look out for them to- over us; they know there will be bones for theht”

”More than bones,” replied Alexander; ”for what can we do with so many carcasses? There is provision for a ious variety of animals there appears to be in this country”

”Yes, they are congregated here, because the country, froht or nine degrees of latitude froest and most minute of creation

We have the ostrich and the little creeper ahing 4,000 lbs, and the black specked iraffe, seventeen feet high, and the little viverra, a sort of weasel, of three inches I believe there are thirty varieties of antelopes known and described; eighteen of theest and smallest of the species; for we have the eland, and we have the pigh We see here also the internoo; and as we find the elephant, the rhinoceros, and Wilmot's friend, the hippopotamus, we certainly have the bulkiest animals in existence”

Bremen now came up to say that they had discovered a rhinoceros close to the river-side, concealed in the bushes underneath a clu declared their intention of i in pursuit, Swinton advised thee of a rhinoceros was a very aard affair, if they did not get out of the way They rode down to the clump of trees and bushes where the animal was said to be hid, and, by the advice of Bres to worry the animal out Bremen, as on foot, was desired by the Major to take the horse which Oht be more expeditious, and our travelers remained with a clear space of two hundred yards between them and the bushes where the animal was concealed The Hottentots had also followed them, and were ordered on no account to fire till they had taken their positions, and the dogs were sent in to drive the animal out

When Bres, Swinton advised that they should disrew very close together, as they would be concealed from the animal They called Oave them to one of the Hottentots, to lead them to some distance out of harm's way

”The vision of the rhinoceros is so liet out of his way on his first charge; but at his second he is generally prepared for your maneuver A ball in the shoulder is the s”

The barking of the dogs, which commenced as soon as they entered the bushes, did not continue more than a minute, when a female rhinoceros of the black variety burst out of the thicket in pursuit of the retreating dogs Several shots were fired by the Hottentots, ere concealed in different quarters without effect; the aniround with its horns, looking out for its enemies At last it perceived a Hottentot, who showed himself from a bush near to where our travelers were concealed The aniht down on its knees by a shot froardless of Swinton's calling out to them to be careful, as the animal was not dead, and had surrounded it within a few yards, when it rose again and fiercely charged Swanevelt, who narrowly escaped A shot from the Major put an end to its career, and they then walked to where the ani near the river, attracted their notice, and they perceived that the male rhinoceros, of whose presence they were not aware, had just burst out of the sa toward them

Every one immediately took to his heels;their muskets, and fortunately the distance they were froave them time to conceal themselves in the thickets before the animal had time to come up with them A shot from Swinton turned the assailant, who now tore up the earth in his rage, looking everywhere round with its sharp flashi+ng eye for a victi about, to the astonishment of the whole party, Omrah showed hi his red handkerchief, which he had taken off his head The rhinoceros, the ht his eye, rushed furiously toward hione from his mouth, when to their astonish and shouting with delight The fact was that Oone doard the river, and as he went along had with his light weight passed over what he knew full well to be one of the deep pits dug by the Bush fully satisfied himself that it was so, he had remained by the side of it, and when the rhinoceros rushed at him, had kept the pit between himself and the anie at him, which it did, and ithin four yards of the lad, had plunged into the pit dug for him The success of Omrah's plan explained the whole matter at once, and our travelers hastened up to where the rhinoceros was iht in the center of the pit, had impaled the aniony of the aniht the boy was mad and wanted to lose his life,” said Alexander

”And so did I,” replied Swinton; ”and yet I ought to have known him better It was admirably done; here we have an instance of the superiority ofpower over brutes A rhinoceros will destroy the elephant; the lion can make no impression on him, and flies before him like a cat He is, in fact, the most powerful of all animals; he fears no enemy, not even man, when he is provoked or wounded; and yet he has fallen by the cleverness of that little h now, and o back to the caravan”

”Yes, I am well satisfied with our day's sport, and a hoive directions about your specimens, Swinton?”

”Yes, Bremen knows the animals I require, and is now after the our horses here”

”Swinton, can birds and beasts talk, or can they not?” said the Major

”I ask that question because I arosbeaks It is a regular toith soacious animals, the beaver, the ant, and the bee, not to mention a variety of others,their ideas”

”That there is no doubt of,” replied Swinton, laughing; ”but still I believe that man only is endoith speech”

”Well, we know that; but if not with speech, they must have some means of communication which answers as well”

”As far as their wants require it, no doubt,” replied Swinton, ”but to what extent is hidden fro powers, but not reason”

”Where is the difference?”

”The reasoning powers are generally limited to their necessities; but with animals who are the companions of rand supper to-night,” said Alexander; ”what shall I help you to--harte-beest, sassaby, or rhinoceros?”

”Thank you,” replied the Major, laughing; ”I'll trouble you for a small piece of that rhinoceros steak--underdone, if you please”

”How curious that would sound in Grosvenor Square”

”Not if you shot the animals in Richmond Park,” said Swinton

”Those rascally Hottentots will collect no fuel to-night if we do not in to stuff it will be all over with them”