With the exception of the elephant, the rhinoceros is the largest of all
land animals, and in point of ugliness he is quite unequalled. In
appearance he is something like an enormous pig, with a horn on the end
of his nose, and a skin so thick that a leaden rifle-ball will not
ordinarily pierce it.
But in spite of his ill-temper, of which hunters are never tired of
speaking, the rhinoceros certainly has a love of fun. An English hunter
in South Africa had gone to bed in his travelling wagon one night,
leaving his native servants feasting around the camp fire. Suddenly he
heard a terrible uproar, and looking out, discovered that a rhinoceros
was having a little fun in the camp. The air seemed to be full of tin
pans, and natives, and blankets, and fire-wood, which the rhinoceros was
tossing, and the natives, whenever they could get breath enough to
express their views of the situation, were calling for help. The hunter
did not interfere with the animal's amusement, and presently the
rhinoceros buried his horn in a red blanket, which covered his eyes and
blinded him. In this condition the beast started to run away, and as he
vanished, the hunter could hear him stumbling and knocking his head
against all the trees and nearly all the rocks in that particular part
of Africa.
On another occasion the same hunter saw a rhinoceros lying down with its
fore-legs stretched out, sleeping in the sun. Almost at the same moment
the animal awoke and looked around, as if he suspected that there might
perhaps be a man with a gun somewhere about. The hunter instantly fired,
aiming just forward of the beast's shoulder. The rifle was a very large
one, and it nearly kicked the hunter over on his back; but the
rhinoceros, without paying the least attention to the shot, sank down
again in his former position, apparently determined to renew his nap.
The hunter loaded and fired again, but the rhinoceros did not even wink.
Then two native servants crept cautiously up to see what was the matter
with the drowsy beast. He did not stir, and when they had approached
quite close to him they found that the first shot had killed him
instantly.
Less fortunate was another hunter in South Africa, who shot a
rhinoceros, and fancying that he had wounded the animal mortally, left
him to die. In the course of the afternoon he unexpectedly came upon the
place where the wounded beast had concealed himself. The rhinoceros
rushed upon him, and knocked him down just as his rifle was discharged.
The hunter was not much hurt, and hastened to creep out between the
beast's hind-legs, hoping to conceal himself in the high grass; but the
rhinoceros was too quick for him. He was knocked down again; his leg
from the knee to the hip was cut open by the animal's horn, and he was
trampled upon so heavily that he felt his ribs bend under the weight. He
of course expected to be killed, but the rhinoceros, satisfied with what
he had done, did not again attack the man, who managed to drag himself
to his camp. His servant seized a gun and went in search of the
rhinoceros, and in a few moments the hunter heard a dreadful yell. Weak
as he was, he took his rifle and went to help the servant. He fired half
a dozen times at the rhinoceros, and finally saw him fall. Wishing to
make sure that the animal would do no more mischief, he walked up to the
beast, and was about to fire in his ear, when he scrambled to his feet,
and rushed after the hunter, who ran as fast as he could in his terribly
crippled condition. The rhinoceros overtook him, and just as he thought
that his last moment had come, the beast stopped and fell dead in his
tracks.
As the rhinoceros does not seem to be of any use while alive, and as he
is good for food when dead, and his horn furnishes excellent ivory, the
hunters who kill him are engaged in a useful work, which is more than
can be said for all sportsmen.
[Illustration: "MY LITTLE SWEETHEART."]