San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-14
SHOOTING A RHlNocERos.
Two of Them Charged n Hunter in
nm African Forest.

Two OF Them Charged Hunter in
an African Forest.
Mr.. II. W. Seton-Karr describes his
experiences after Big Game in Africa
and India" Shortly after bagging his
first elephant, the author started after
the twohorned rhinoceros. He gives
the following account of his expert
ence:
As I came round bush saw at the
bottom of kind of natural alley in the
in the forest, framed in like picture by
the trees, a massive old female rhinocer-
os. She was facing me, and standing
half in sunshine, half in shadow. From
bush protruded the hind quarters of
another, Signing to the Somalis to
keep back, / instantly sat down and
"drew bead" upon her chest. The dis
lance was about 20 yards, and although
the wind was adverse to her, and we
made no noise, she must have seen us
like moving shadows in the trees, and
was evidently full of suspicion and dis
trust. it,ta
If ever took careful aim it was at
that moment, and under cover of the
smoke I shifted my position as the rhi-
noceros came charging down upon us,
giving three or four sharp whiffs like
Jets of steam, evidently with the inten-
ton of clearing the enemy away from
the rear before making her escape to-
ward the front against the wind. Hav-
ing, as she supposed, effected this ma
neuver-a very usual one on the part
of the rhinoceros--shes weryed off, and
the two broke away across the forest,
crash after crash dying away in the dis
lance, marking their course as they re-
ceded. On perceiving the rhinoceros go
off apparently uninjured, my Somalis
gave full vent to their disappointment,
making extravagant gestures and us
ing what sounded like bad language,
yet still in half-whispers, as they knew
instinctively that the animal might not
have gone far after all, especially if the
one 1 had fired at had really received
mortal wound.
The tracks we now followed were
deep holes and burrows imprinted by
the animals at full speed. We had not
gone far before 1 again saw the larger
of the two rhinoceroses standing broad.
side on, and quite motionless, under a
bush which concealed the head. Civ
ing my three Somalis to understand
that they must remain quiet, I aimed
once more at the animals shoulder, tax.
ing care that no twig or branch was in
the line of fire, knowing how easily a
bullet may become detected. My shot
was followed by couple of short,
angry snorts, the stamp of heavy feet,
and an appalling crashing, which adj
vanced and then swept round toward
the left. Another cautious advance on
our part, and not far off I saw near the
center of an open space the smaller of
the two rhinoceroses, but not the larger
one.
A shot delivered standing, from the
shoulder, was followed by two shrill
squeaks, as the animal tottered a few
PAGES and fell over on it's side-a sound
most disproportionate to the size and
bulk of so large creature, but which j
instantly recognized, from Sir Samuel
Bakers description, as the death-cry
of the rhinoceros; and the hearing of ii
filed me with a hunters joy. While ]
was reloading the Somais hadcreptfor-
ward with their spears, relying upon
their own agility in eyading any charge
delivered by the larger one, which
knew must surely be somewhere near
at hand. After peering over low bush
they executed a war dance upon the
ground beyond, for there were the two
rhinoeeroses lying stone dead almost
side by side. My Somalis gave way to
shout and exuberant mirth; they
were Transformed from scowling fiends,
soured by the white mans folly, into
radiant brown angels, and allowed
them to stroke my face and pat me on
the back without a reprimand.-Cen-
tury.