Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-03-15
over. At the end of the pit toward
camp I planted red flag aud covered
fhp sta IT with N ct RI ~, b,f

While the black rhinoceros has no fca
and will charge an elephant rs soon as {
dog If once aroused, he is very suspiciou.
and crafty when not excited. We
knew that it was vain to hopo one would
charge the flag and thus fall into the nj,
II In pursuit of one of the men, and af.
ter dinner called up all the blacks and
told them my plan. 1t was for tho best
runner among them to strip himself OF
all surerfuous clothing, hunt up O
rhinoccros and provoke the creature into
charging him along the path made ready
for the purpose. My offer of n gun to
any one who would do this brought for
ward six men, and Ispeedily made Sc
lection. The man removed creased his
body with IN ointment made of earth
and animal fat to Timber himself, and
started on his mission.
The four Of us white men took our
guns and mado our way to the bare knoll.
1t seemed to have been thrown up by tho
ants and abandoned. 1t twas six or seven
feet high, ten feet across, and twenty
fect long, and was sloping like house
roof on all sides. 1t was good post of
observation, but we could sec nothing
anywhere in the big swamp to show that
a rhlnoceros was on the move.
we could follow the movements of tho
native as he roamed about He knew,
1t being midday, that the big beast
would be asleep, and it was not long be-
lore he made discovery. He was then
TO the east OF us and n quarter of n mile
away, and in path which led directly
past our mound. He carried flag in his
hand, and when we saw this wave above
the grass VIC knew that the gnmo had
been sighted. A moment later we knew
II more certainly by the shrill notes of
tho so-callcd rhinoccros bird. which is
Invariably found in the company of the
beast. 1t is asserted that this bird con
stitutcs himself the sentinel OF the lum-
boring bchcmoth. and that its cries are
uttered to warn him that danger is near.
The bird is found with bufTaloes. Gle.
phants. Glands, and often with oxen and
horses. He is simply after insects. Flies,
gnats, and mosquitoes gather about ali
animals in great numbers, and the bird
is there to feast on them. lie is wary,
and if disturbed uttcrs shrill cries to
prove his annoyance. This is the "wnrn.
ing he gives, and it is taken MS warn
ing because his shrill notes would
awaken the soundcst sleeper among
men. We heard three or four birds
scolding away, and presently caught the
grnnt of the Ihinoccros rs he staggered
to his feet. The black showed himself.
waved his flag, and next moment he had
tho old fellow in tow.
Nature made tho rhinoccros in the
most clumsy manner, and evidently for
Il walker, but he beat her Mt her own
gamo. Take him on straight line and
he is runner not TO be scorncd. a
horse has got to be sure footed and have
good ground to travel on to beat him in
u half-milc dash. The native had about
thirty feet the start and when thcv
passed our mound he had lost five feet
OF that, although running like creased
lightning. The rhinoccros was big
one, unusually black, and he ran with
snout down and tail erect We chcercd
the native TO encourage him, and away
the two went up the trail VIC had tam
pcrcd with.
Had the race been ten yards longer,
the native would have had to leave the
path to avoid death. AS he neared the
PIT he ran along the r;ght-hand edge of
1t, while the rhinoccros Numbered along
the centre. lie was within twelve feet
oil the heels Of the runner when his feet
let 30 OF solid earth and pitched him
head first into the pit We heard him
grunt from where we stood, and it was
plain that his tumble had knocked the
breath out of him. As he struck he
rolled over on his right side, and when
we reached the pit he was helpless.
When he got it through his thick head
that he had been fooled he was the mad
dest beast in all Africa, but it was too
late for action.
we had come prepared for Just such
Job as we now Lad on hand. The monster
must be got aboard the barge, but we
were III no hurry to begin. We got our
ropes and chains ashore. drove stout
stakes where they would be wanted. and
moved the barge to the lower end of the
bluff. BY this time it was dark, and we
tied the old fellows hind legs together
and left him. 1t was mighty uncom-
Portable position for him, but we counted
on that to aid us next day. lie was
pretty quiet up to about midnight, and
then the roars of the lions angcred him.
and he kept us awake with his wells and
squeals. We found tracks of lions all
about the pit next day, but the king of
beasts had simply come there out of
curiosity. The hungriest lion on the
Dark Continent could not he induced
to attack rhinoceros alive nor attempt
to make meal of him if he was dead
After brealifns next morning we be-
gan work. We first hobblcd our rris-
oncr, and then hoistcd him on t of the
pit. The first thing he did was to make
n rush, but it was failure. We got
purchase tackles on him and led them
away to trees and staples, and by their
means we checked him up or warped
him along MS wcwillcd. An we had to
do was to keep clear of his wicked horns.
BY noon we had him safe aboard the
barge, one half of which was given up
to him. We had managed his capture
without inHicting an injury. lie was
landed in Hamburg without piece of
skin rubbed of, and is no doubt alive
at this writing. His age was estimated
Mt thirty years when captured, and he
was consid cred good for fifty or sixty
years longer.
We had captured one rhinoceros so
easily that we expected to secure another
in day or two by the same means
Therefore, great was our surprise next
day to find the swamp entirely deserted
by the animals. All the signs went to
show that it was rich feeding ground,