Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-22
Che family Circle.


skellum"
Such was the. to me, rather unintellioi-
BILE announcement with which my friend
Ms bush-boy came rushing in Just about
sunrise one morning, as we were sitting
over our breakfast at the door of the
house, cone of those regular old Dutch
built farmhouses, that one hardly ever sees
nowadays. except in South Africa. What
he meant by it was, Boss. boss the trail
of a big rhinoceros rascal!'
Where?" cried M, jumping up:
for he was II keen sportsman, and never
lost an opportunity of "potting" some
thing.
Out by Hollow Spring, baas ;-spoor
goodr
There's II chance for you, by bov,"
said NJ, turning to me. !" Now You'll
be able to see how these elephant-guns of
mine do their work; l think you will find
them the right sort'
Let me try the job by myself" cried |,
eagerly; for, like all greenhorns," was
frantic to do some unheard-of feat, and
win my laurels ut once. I've never
shot rhinoceros yet, you know"
Cant, really,my dear boy said NJ,
in the most eXasperatingly indulgent tone !;
" when you're a little better used to the
African bush, you can do what you like;
but if l were to let you go alone now the
least could expect would be u life long
remorse for having connived at u suicide.
No, We'll make Il party of three to visit
our friend, and he'll hardly give the slip
to us all, fancy"
Accordingly, we started out that very
night, Swart. the bush boy, making the
third of our party; but | suppose the
rhnoceros was too modest TO face so many
visitors at once, for although we kept
watch till sunrise, there was no sign of
him. The next night it was Just the same :;
and ut last got so mad at the idea of los
ing my chance,-the first [ had ever had
with the big game,-that, in spite of what
NJ had said, | made up my mind 10
try my luck single-handed.
| should have told you that the Hollow
Spring frequented by my four footed
friend, lay about eight miles from the
house, in II deep gully, one side of which
went up into Il steep hog-backed ridge
topped by big knuckle of rock that over
looked the spring at Il range of fifty yards
as pretty II " stand as any sportsman
could wish. So, when night came, stole
out Of the house with one of Ms
Wanted elephant guns, "a piece carry
inc II tive-ounce explosive ball." steel
tipped, and holding enough Illuminating
powder to blow out the spine of mega
therium. To guard against the recoil of
such Il charge, the stock was fitted with IL
thick pad; so, with gun and ammunition
together, had quite enough to carry for
IN eight mile tramp through the bush.
dare say there are ugly thickets in
South America and Central Asa; but AT
RIGA beats them bo'h. Imagine forest of
Iish-hooks, relieved by an occasional patch
of penknives, and you have it exactly.
There's one horrid spiky thing, called by
the Dutch " Wache EN- belize which the
English have corrupted into " wat-a-bit, -
and it does make you wait bit, if it once
gets hold of you. I've known fellow be
laid up for II fortnight with n cash from
one. So you may think that with masses
of this nice stuff all around me, had 10
pick my way gingerly enough.
When L got to the place, 10! and behold,
the pad of my gun had fallen off 70 90
back and look for it would have been like
hunting for IL needle in II hay-stack so |
filled my handkerchief with wild grass.
and tucked it in under the shoulder Of my
jacket as substitute, and then | took my
post behind the rocks, and waited.
The full moon was lst rising over the
trees (a glorious sight, | can tell you),
when | heard distant trampling, like the
tread of an elephant, only quicker; for :,
full.grown rhinoceros, clumsy rs he looks,
can be active enough at times, as you
soon find if you stood charge from him
when his temper's up. So had not long
TO wait when there came u thick SNORT, land
the great brown barrel of II body loomed
out in the streak of moonlight, Just over
the spring. l hardly stopped to take aim,
before pulled trigger.
The next few seconds were IL blank; and
then | awoke to the consciousness that nv
shoulder was aching us if it were broken
and that something was grunting savage
ly II few yards off; and then | saw the
huge snout and great white tusks coming
right at me! | don't think any acrobat
could have been quicker than | was in
clutching projecting bough, and swinging
up into the tree overhead; and I'd hardly
got there when the brute came bang
against the trunk, almost shaking me off
again. For moment or two my heart
was in my mouth, for he thumped against
the tree till | really thought he would
have it down. and when he found he
couldn't, he stamped the earth in n fury,
and tore it up with his horn in II horribly
suggestive way that made my flesh creep.
Here | was, then, in the crisis of a
regular "adventure,h such us had ALWAYS
longed for; but somehow, now that was
in it, it didn't seem so very delightful. It's
one thing to read of adventures in an easy
chair after dinner. and another to act them
for yourself all night on hard Dough,
with thousands of mosquitoes pitching in
to you, and mad rhinoceros galoping
about underneath.
The likeness between my situation and
some Of those recorded by Captain Mavne
Reid set me overhauling my recollections
of that vcracious author, in the hope of
an idea; but the more thought, the more
the captain failed me. Basil, when fol-
lowed up Il tree by II bear, got his brothers
to throw up Il rope, and slid down; but I
had no brothers, and no rope. Ben Brace.
when :" freed " by the lion, lassoed his
dropped musket, and slew the king of
beasts Herewith; but had no lasso, and
could MT have used it if had. Some
body else, blockaded by grizzly,n
waited till bruin fell asleep, and then
slipped away; but my rhinoceros seemed
distrcssingly wide-awake, and even if he
had dozed, the experiment would not
have commended itself 10 my fancy. In
short,tho most mastery stratagem i could
devise was to stay still where l was, and |
did SO.
The night was the longest l ever spent,
and no mistake. Toward morning, Mas
ter Rhino frequently took brief leave of
absence into The bush, as if to tempt me
down; but heard him trampling in the
distance. and was MT to be caught. Dav
was just dawning, and was beginning to
wonder how much longer could stand
the thirst that was parching me up. when
suddenly heard u shot among the bushes,
so close that it made me start. Then the