A BATTLE WITH A BORELe.
Hans and Arend on this occasion had followed the chase, and were almost
"in at the death;" and Klaas and Jan, who from the openness of the
ground had had a view of the whole run, shortly after came up, spurring
their panting ponies to the very top of their speed.
All six now dismounted to rest both themselves and horses after their
sharp gallop, and also to skin the bull. Though Arend was habitually
_chef-de-cuisine_, Hendrik and Groot Willem were the butchers; Hans,
"the botanist of the expedition," might also be termed its
"green-grocer," as his knowledge of botany enabled him to keep the
camp-table supplied with many species of esculent roots and vegetables
to be found growing wild upon the plains of Southern Africa.
While Hendrik and Groot Willem were flaying off the skin, Hans and Arend
were busy with the head and horns, preparing them for preservation. It
was nearly as much on account of these as for his meat that they had
hunted the gnoo. They would also be trophies in the halls of the Graaf
Reinet; for although the horns of the common gnoo are easily had, those
of the brindled species are more precious, for the reason that the
latter animal inhabits a more remote part of the country.
Klaas and Jan acted as assistants to the other four--now handing a
knife, now holding a limb or flap of skin, and making themselves
"generally useful." All six, therefore, were engaged.
While thus employed, all of them bending and stooping one way or
another, over the dead bull, and none of them keeping a look-out, a
queer sound fell upon their ears that caused them to start all together
into an erect attitude. The sound they had heard was a loud snort,
followed by a blowing noise, somewhat similar to that made by terrified
swine, but much fuller and louder. There was, also, the noise of
snapping twigs and breaking branches.
These sounds caused all six to start, and some of them to tremble with
fear; and the sight that came under their eyes as they looked up
confirmed them in that emotion. In truth, it was a sight that would
have inspired with alarm older hearts than theirs.
Breaking through the bushes, and causing the branches to bend and
crackle, came a large animal. The tall upright horn upon its snout, its
huge heavy body, and strong massive limbs, left them no room to doubt
what sort of animal it was. It was a rhinoceros!
There are four species of these in South Africa; but the dark colour of
its skin and the double horn proclaimed the one now seen to be the black
rhinoceros, or "borele"--the fiercest and most dangerous of the four.
When the boys first heard it, it was crashing through the bushes close
to the edge of the thicket, but they had scarce turned their eyes in
that direction before it shot out of the timber, head towards them, and
came on at full gallop. Its head was raised high in air, its ears were
in motion, and its small but saucy-looking tail was flirted about in a
confident manner. Its black eyes gleamed with a malicious expression,
and its air was one of anger and menace. The terror inspired by its
look was not lessened by the loud snorting and blowing that issued from
its fiery nostrils.
The boys saw at once, and to their alarm, that it was charging upon
_them_! There could be no doubt about the matter. Its whole appearance
denoted that it was bent upon attacking them, for it was heading
directly for the spot where they stood. They knew, moreover, that there
was nothing odd in that,--they knew that the black rhinoceros will
charge upon any creature, whether man, quadruped, bird, or _bush_,
without the slightest provocation!
It is needless to say that the boys were in a dilemma, and were aware of
it as well. There were they, all six afoot upon the plain, with a
fierce borele rushing up to them, and at less than a hundred yards
distance!
Fortunately for them the steeds were all well-trained, and fortunately
the riders had had the precaution to fasten them in such a manner that
it required but little time to get them free. But for these two
circumstances some one of the six must certainly have been lifted upon
the death-dealing horn of the borele.
As it was the horses had been tied all around a tree that stood near.
Each had his bridle looped to a small branch, so small that it could be
wrenched off in a second of time, but large enough to keep a horse
steady for awhile, unless something should alarm and startle him. This
was a precaution the hunters had been taught by their fathers, and the
knowledge now stood them in stead.
Of course the moment the borele "hove" in sight, there was an end to the
skinning of the gnoo. There was a chorus of cries expressing terror, a
flinging away of knives, a sudden rush to the horses, a seizing of
bridles, a snapping off of branches, and a simultaneous leaping into six
saddles. All these acts did not take ten seconds of time to accomplish,
and the last of them was not accomplished one second too soon; for the
riders had just time to turn the heads of their horses to the plain as
the borele came up. In fact, so close to them had he got his hideous
snout that several of the horses shied and plunged as they took to
flight, nearly dismounting one or two of the riders. To have been
unhorsed at that moment would have been a perilous business.
All kept their seats, however, and in a moment more were flying over the
plain in a close clump, the borele snorting at their heels.
Now that they were in their saddles, and galloped freely off, some of
the yagers were disposed to laugh. Hendrik and Groot Willem were among
the number. They knew that the speed of a rhinoceros is no match for
that of a horse, and they would soon get out of his way. They were
disposed to regard the chase as a bit of fun rather than otherwise. All
at once, however, a thought came into their minds that turned their
merry mood into a feeling of new and painful apprehension.
The young yagers were riding in pairs. Hendrik and Groot Willem,
mounted on their swift horses, had forged some distance ahead of the
others. On turning their faces backward they perceived that the two
boys, Klaas and Jan, had fallen considerably to the rear, and that the
borele was pushing them closely. He was not twenty yards behind either,
for they rode side by side, as if in a racing gallop. Hans and Arend
were further in advance, and these also looking back at the same instant
perceived the perilous situation of their younger brothers.
To all four the idea seemed to occur at the same moment, that though a
horse can outrun the rhinoceros, a pony _cannot_, and the thought drew
from them a simultaneous expression of alarm. Beyond a doubt Klaas and
Jan were in danger. Should the borele overtake them, their ponies would
not save them. The huge brute would gore these animals to death, or
impale them at the first stroke of his stout sharp horn. Beyond a doubt
the boys were in danger!
So thought their four brothers as they glanced back; and, as they
continued to gaze, they became the more convinced of this fearful truth.
They saw that the distance between them and the rhinoceros, instead of
widening, was gradually growing less--the borele was gaining upon them!
It was a moment of painful apprehension with all four; but at this
moment Hendrik performed one of the neatest manoeuvres that had occurred
during the whole expedition. With a wrench upon his bridle he turned
suddenly out of his course, and then wheeling round rode backward,
calling on Groot Willem to act similarly, but with his head turned to
the opposite side.
Groot Willem, as if by instinct, obeyed, and, diverging suddenly from
each other, the two wheeled right and left at the same instant. Their
horses' heads were now turned to the rear, and after going a pace or two
they halted, and got their guns in readiness.
First Hans and Arend swept past between the two halted hunters,--then
passed Klaas and Jan upon the frightened ponies, and then came "borele."
Before the last had got fairly on a line, Hendrik and Groot Willem
covered his huge body, fired, and then, galloping round to his rear,
commenced reloading.
Both balls took effect, and, though neither brought the brute to the
ground, they made a decided alteration in his pace, and in a moment it
was perceived that he was running slower, while the blood flowed freely
from his wounds. He still, however, kept on after the ponies; and it is
hard to say how far he might have followed them, had it not been that
Hans and Arend, exactly imitating the manoeuvre of Hendrik and Groot
Willem, now also wheeled right and left, came back a pace or two,
halted, and delivered their pieces in the face of the rhinoceros.
Again the bullets took effect, and again did not prove fatal. But the
danger, as far as Klaas and Jan were concerned, was over; for the
borele, instead of pursuing the ponies further, turned short on his
nearer antagonists, and rushed first upon one, then the other, with all
the strength and fury that was left in his body.
Several charges were made by him without effect, as the riders, now
faced towards him, were able to spring to one side and gallop out of his
way.
For nearly a quarter of an hour the battle was kept up, the four loading
and firing as fast as they could under the circumstances.
At length the day was decided by a bullet from the big elephant-gun of
Groot Willem, which, penetrating the skull of the huge borele, sent him
rolling over in the dust.
A loud "hurrah!" proclaimed the victory, and the six yagers now rode up
and alighted by the huge body of the borele, that, prostrate and
lifeless, no longer caused them alarm.
An axe was obtained from the wagon, and his long anterior horn--a
splendid trophy--was hacked off from his snout, and carried away; while
another journey was made for the meat and horns of the blauw-wildebeest,
which were packed behind the hunters upon the croups of their horses,
and brought safely into camp.