Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-02-01


you 90 alone now, the least could ex-
pect would be lifelong remorse for
having connived at a suicide. No, we'll
make party of three to visit our friend,
and he'll hardly give the slip TO us all, l
fancy"
Accordingly, we started out that very
night, Swart, the bush-boy, making the
third of our party; but | suppose the
rhinoceros 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 at last l got so mad at
losing my chance-the first l had ever
had with the big game-that in spite of
what NJ had said, ! made up my
mind to try my luck single-handed.
should have told you that the Hol-
low Spring frequented by my four-foot
ed friend, lay about eight miles from the
house, in deep gully, one side of which
went up into steep hog-backed ridge,
topped by big knuckle of rock that
overlooked the spring at range of so
yards-as pretty a ''stand" as any
sportsman could wish. So, when night
came, l stole out of the house with one
ofM-'s Wanted "elephant-guns''-
a piece carrying a ive-ounce ''explos-
i've ball. steel-tipped. and holding
enough Illuminating powder TO blow out
the spine of megatherium. To guard
against the recoil of such charge, the
stock was fitted with thick pad; so,
with gun and ammunition together, l
had quite enough to carry for an eight
mile tramp through the bush.
dare say there are ugly thickets in
South America and Central Asia; but
Africa beats them both. Imagine for
est of fish-hooks, relieved by an occa-
sional patch of penknives, and you have
it exactly. There's one horrid spiky
thing, called By the Dutch "Wache-
en- bette" which the English have cor
rupted into "wait-a- bit," and it does
make you wait bit, if it once gets hold
of you. I've known fellow be laid up
for a fortnight with a cash from one.
So you may think that with masses of
this nice stuff all around me, l had to
pick my way gingerly enough.
When | got to the place, 10, and be-
hold, the pad of my gun had fallen off,
To 90 back and look for it would have
beer like hunting for a needle in hay
stack; SO l filed my handkerchief with
Wild grass, and tucked it in under the
shoulder of my jacket as substitute,
and then / took my post behind the
rock and waited.
The full moon was Just rising over
the trees Ga glorious sight, can tell
you), when | heard distant tramp
ling, like the tread of an elephant, only
quicker; for a full-grown rhinoceros,
clumsy as he looks, can be active enough
at times, as you'd soon find if you stood
charge from him when his temper's
up. So had not long to wait before
there came a thick snort, and the great |
brown barrel OF body doomed out in |
the streak of moonlight, just over the |
spring. hardly stopped to take aim,
before pulled trigger.
The next few seconds were blank |
and then | awoke to the Consciousness
that my shoulder was aching as if it |
were broken, and that somdhing was
grunting savagely few yards off; and
then saw the huge snout and great
white tusks coming right at me! l !
don't think any acrobat could have been |
quicker than was in clutching a pro-
jectihg 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 minute or two, my neart 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 fury, and tore
it up with his horn in hoi ribly sug
gestive way that made my flesh creep.
Here was. then, in the crisis of reg
ular "adventure, such as | had al
ways longed for; but somehaw, now
that was in it, it didn't seem so very
delightful LIS one thing To read of