Fortunately for all they were not distant from their wagons when thus
charged upon. They had advanced only a few paces before delivering
their fire, and these few paces were all they had to run back, before
they sprang up into the capacious vehicles. Had it been otherwise--had
the chase only lasted twenty yards farther--most undoubtedly one or more
of the party would have been hoisted upon the horns of the pursuing
animals, or trampled under their broad brutal hoofs.
As it was, the hindmost of them had a narrow escape of it; for they had
hardly taken shelter under the cap-tents of the wagons, when the horns
of the muchochos were heard rattling against the planks.
Although they had fled to the wagons for want of a better place, they
were far from feeling secure. They knew that these immense brutes,
should they take it into their heads, could soon demolish the vehicles,
strong as these were. What was their consternation, then, at seeing the
old bull suddenly lower his head, and charge forward upon one of the
wagons, in which several of them had taken refuge!
The next moment was heard the terrible concussion--the horn of the
muchocho struck the "buik plank," passing clear through it--the timber
split from end to end--the "achter kist" was shivered to pieces, and the
huge vehicle was lifted clear from the ground, and hoisted several feet
out of its place! A simultaneous cry of alarm broke forth from the
occupants of the wagon--which was continued as they saw the huge
quadruped preparing to repeat the charge.
At this crisis the faithful buck-dogs performed an essential service,
and saved, not only the wagons, but perhaps also the lives of their
masters. As the great bull was heading once more towards the wagon,
several of the dogs attacked him from behind; two of them launched
themselves upon his flanks, and one other springing upward, caught hold
of his tail and hung on!
Now the tail of the rhinoceros is one of his tenderest bits; and this
new and unexpected mode of assault quite disconcerted the old bull.
Instead, therefore, of following up his charge upon the wagon, he turned
round as fast as his unwieldy body would permit, blowing with agony and
rage. But the stanch hound still hung on, while the others kept biting
at the bull's hind-legs; and vainly attempting to get at the dogs, the
huge beast danced round and round like a kitten after its own tail--if a
comparison may be allowed between two animals of such unequal
magnitudes.
This scene continued for some minutes, until at length the dogs were
thrown off. One of them was crushed beneath the heavy feet of the
rhinoceros, while another was badly ripped by the horn of the female.
But the gallant brutes had performed their part well; and by means of
their barking and biting, they had drawn the muchochos altogether away
from the wagons, and into a different part of the meadow.
It was not likely they would return to the attack upon the wagons,
unless they chanced to be driven that way by the dogs--for the
rhinoceros, partly from his low power of sight, and partly from his
forgetful nature, rarely returns to assault any object once he has
quitted it.
But a new fear now sprang up in the minds of the young yagers--no longer
for themselves, but for their horses!
These animals, as already stated, along with the oxen, had been left
grazing upon the meadow, without any fastening. When the muchochos
first appeared, both oxen and horses had taken to flight. The oxen had
gone toward the lower end of the meadow; and, guided by a cunning old
leader, had set off upon their back trail over the ridge by which they
had entered. The horses, on the contrary, had remained prancing around
the wagons, until the muchochos came upon the spot; and, then dashing
off together, had leaped the stream, and taken their stand trembling and
cowering close by the cliffs on the opposite side. Here they had
remained during the early part of the fight between the dogs and
muchochos.
But in the course of this conflict both the dogs and their huge
adversaries had worked up to the spot where the horses were, and once
more set the latter in motion.
Seeing these, the rhinoceroses immediately started after them--perhaps
deeming them antagonists more worthy of their horns; and now for some
minutes a terrible melee of charging muchochos and galloping steeds
filled the measure of the glen--the former blowing and snorting with
rage, while the latter snorted with affright.
Fortunately, the small circumference within which this scene was
enacted, enabled the hunters to use their pieces with effect; and
whenever either of the rhinoceroses came to a stand, if but for a
moment, the crack of a gun could be heard, and the thud of a bullet
hitting against their thick hides. It is a mistake to suppose that a
leaden bullet will not penetrate the skin of a rhinoceros. On the
contrary, the hide, though thick, is comparatively soft, and yields
easily to either a spear or a ball--so that every shot took effect. The
hunters, _par excellence_, Hendrik and Groot Willem, fired most of the
shots, aiming behind the fore-shoulder for the heart and lungs--for in
these parts the shot proves fatal. A bullet into the brain would have a
like effect; but as the brain of the rhinoceros is exceedingly small in
proportion to the size of the animal, it requires a sure aim to strike
it; and the more certain way is to aim for the lungs.
So aimed Hendrik and Groot Willem; and what with the large leaden balls
of the roer, and the small but better directed pellets of the rifle,
both the muchochos were at length made to bite the dust. The calf was
shot afterwards; for after the fall of its parents, the creature did not
attempt to run away, but stood by the body of its mother, jerking its
little tail about, and wondering what the trouble was all about.
A very, ludicrous scene was now witnessed, that caused the young yagers
to break into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Their laughter,
however, did not come until after the incident was over which gave rise
to it--for there was danger in the scene, and it was somewhat painful to
witness it.
It was as follows. The rhinoceros, like the American bison, when shot
down by the hunter, rarely falls in the common way of other animals--
upon its side--but usually sinks down upon his breast, and there remains
even after death has taken place.
The two shot by Hendrik and Groot Willem had offered no exception to the
rule. Both lay upon their bellies at a little distance from the wagons,
their broad massive backs turned upward.
Now a practice equally common among Bushmen, whenever a rhinoceros has
been killed, is to leap upon the animal's back, thrust their spears into
its flesh to try the depth, and discover whether the game be fat, and
consequently valuable!
In the carrying out of this custom, no sooner had the great bull
rhinoceros sunk down under the shots, than our Bushman, Swartboy, seeing
that all danger was over, leaped forth from the wagon, and running up to
where the dead animal lay, sprang upon its back! Shouting out a wild
cry of triumph, he plunged his _assegai_ into the flesh of the muchocho
to the depth of a foot or more.
Almost at the same instant, the animal, which was not yet dead, rose to
its feet again, and charged once more across the sward, with the Bushman
upon its back!
The shout of triumph, which Swartboy had uttered, was suddenly
interrupted, and cries of a far different import now rang through the
glen; while the rhinoceros, no doubt impelled to fresh energy of life by
the terrible pain he suffered from the Bushman's spear, charged round
and round, as though he had quite recovered!
Swartboy, on the other hand, dared not leap to the ground, lest he might
be impaled upon the dread horns, but held fast to the spear, which,
still buried in the animal's thick flesh, served him as a _point
d'appui_!
How Swartboy would have been delivered, had the strength of the muchocho
held out, it is hard to say; but this gave way at length, and the huge
quadruped once more sank to the earth, pitching the Bushman several
yards over his head!
Swartboy did not lie long where he had been flung; but, sprawling up
again, ran back at top speed to the wagons, where he was welcomed by
yells of laughter! The oxen were soon overtaken and brought back, the
calf of the muchocho regularly butchered, and that night the young
yagers enjoyed a supper of "rhinoceros veal."