Part 23 (1/2)
”Wake up, you fellows!” I yelled, and Fred and Will put their heads through thebeside me just in time to see the rhino take notice of the train at last When the engine was fifty yards frohted squint at it, sniffed, decided on war, and charged The engineer crowded on steah sport!” chuckled Fred
”He's a fool!” grinned Will
He was both, but he never flinched He struck the cow-catcher head-on and tried to lift it sky-high The speed and weight of the engine sent hi over and over off the track, and the shock of the blow ca the train in thunderclaps as each car felt the check
The engineer whistled him a requiem and a cheer went up from fifty heads thrust out of s But he was not nearly done for
He got up, spun around like a polo pony to face the train, deliberately picked out level going, and charged again This time he hit the car ere in, and screaave notice that Lady Saffren Waldon's h atoo
He hit the running-board beside the car, crumpled it to matchwood, lifted the car an inch off the track, but failed to disrail us The car fell back on the , and the rhino recoiled sidewise, to roll over and over again This tiully and we did not doubt he was dead at the botto to see what the daot his rifle handy?” he shouted ”The train's ahead o'
time There's twenty minutes for sport!”
We dived for our rifles, but Coutlass had his and was on the track ahead of us, his eye a ghastly sight froruesome color of the ed eye ablaze, and nothing whatever the e--a cartridge, somebody!” he yelled ”Gassharamminy!
He's not dead! I saw his upwards!
Give e and I'll finish hier was out on the track, soht-shi+rts, so at all on, but nearly all with guns Soes that fitted his Mauser rifle and he was off in the lead like a hero leading a forlorn hope, we after hih and low but lost all trace of the rhino, and at the end of half an hour the engine's whistle called us back There were blood and hair all over the engine--blood and hair on our car, but the rhino had been as determined in defeat as in attack, and if he died of his wounds he contrived to do it alone and in dignity
”That leaves Coutlass with six cartridges,” said I, overtaking Fred
”Let's hope their owner asks for them back”
The owner did ask for them He stood with his hand out by the door of the Greek's coes,” he said
”But I will!” sneered Coutlass ”Out offor his door and slammed it in the h theI caught sight of Hassan beside theray, as unhappy black men usually do Will saw hi ant hi to delay the train was an elephant, alked the track ahead of us and when the engine whistled only put on speed Hypnotized by the tracks that reached in parallel lines to the horizon, with trunk outstretched, ears up, and silly tail held horizontally he set hi us behind The ine screanified became his efforts; he reached a speed at times of fourteen or fifteen miles an hour, and it was not until, after many miles, he reached a culvert he dared not cross that he switched off at right angles Realizing then at last that the train could not follow him to one side he stood and watched us pass, red-eyed, blown and angry He had only one tusk, but that a big one, and the weight of it caused hile
”Stop the train!” yelled Coutlass, brandishi+ng his rifle as he cliuard, likewise on the roof at his end of the train, gave no signal and we speeded on We were already in the world's greatest gaht shoot elephant or any other living thing
We began to pass herds of zebra, gnu, and lesser antelope--more than a thousand zebra in one herd--ostriches in ones and twos--giraffes in scared half-dozens--rhinoceros--and here and there lone lions
Scarcely an aniiraffes ran
Watching the the various breeds we three grew enor depression
Obviously ere in a land of good hunting, for the strictly policed reserve had its liame would roam
The climate seemed perfect There was a steady wind, not too cold or hot, and the rains were recent enough to ht and left of us--to north and south that is--ild h to arouse that unaccountable desire to go and see that lurks in the breast of younger sons and all true-blue adventurers We got out a ers that treue dots leading toward lands marked ”unexplored” There were vast plateaus on which not more than two or three white es alht of the line we traveled on If the on from Nairobi by any of three wild roads Fred and I underscored the names of several places with a fountain pen
”And say!” said Will ”Look out of the ! If we once got away into country like that, who could follow us!”
”But you can't get away!” said a weary voice from the upper berth