Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-10-01
SHOOTING A RHIN0CER0S
TWO OF THEM CHARGED a HUNTER
IN AN AFRICAN FOREST.

Both Of Them Fall After an Interesting
Chase The Peculiar squeak of Mar
tally wounded Ehinoccros-.Ioy ct the
Natives when the Big Animal F-ll.
Mr.. II. W. Seton Karr in the Cen
fury describes his experiences after
Big Game in Africa and India.
Shortly after bagging his first ele-
plant the author started after the two
horned rhinoceros. He gives the fol-
lowing account Of his experience:
As | came round bush saw at the
bottom of kind of natural alley IN
the forest, framed in like picture 10y
the trees, a massive old female rhi-
nocerus. She was facing me. and
standing half in sunshine, half IN
shadow. From bush protruded the
hind quarters of another. Signing I"
the Somalis to keep back | instantly
sat down and drew bead upon her
chest. The distance was about seven
ty yards, and although the wind was
adverse to her, and We had made no
noise, she must have seen us like
moving shadows among the trees, and
was evidently full Of suspicion and
distrust.
If ever took careful aim il was at
that moment, aud under cover of the
smoke | shifted my position as the
rhinOceros came charging down upon
us, giving three or four sharp whiits
like Jets Of steam, evidently with the
intention of clearing the enemy away
from the rear before making her es-
cape toward the front against the
wind. Having, rs she supposed, eff
fected this maneuyer-a very usual
one on the part of the rhinoceros-
she swerved of, and the two broke
away across the forest, crash after
crash, dying away in the distance,
marking their course as they receded.
On perceiving the rhinoceros go off
apparently uninJured, my SomaIis
gave full vent to their disappointment,
making eXtravagant gestures, and
using what sounded like bad language,
yet still in half-whispers, rs they
knew instinctively that the animals
might not have gone far, after all, es
peciall if the one had fired at had
really received amortal wound.
The tracks we now followed We're
deep holes and burrows imprinted by
the animals at full speed. We had
not gone far before | again saw the
larger of the two rhinoceroses stand
ing broadside on, and quite motion
+ l...t ,,,.lat l,,,,sh dbl, .,.,,,,., l.,l
the head. Giving my three Somalis
to understand that they must remain
quiet, aimed once more at the ami
mails shoulder, taking care that no
twig or branch was i'll the line of fire,
knowing how easily bullet may be-
come detected My shot was fol-
lowed by couple Of short, angry
snorts, the stamp of heavy feet and
an appalling crashing, which advanced
and then swept round toward the left.
/ Another cautious advance on our part,
and not far off | saw, near the centre
of an open space, the smaller Of the
/ two rhinoceroses, but not the larger
one.
shot delivered standing, from the
/ shoulder, was followed by two shrill
/ squeaks, as the animal tottered few
/ PAGES and fell over on its side--a
sound most disproportionate to the
| size and bulk of SO large creature,
but which | instantly recognized,
/ from Sir Samuel Bakers description,
/ as the death-crv of the rhinoceros;
and the hearing of it filled me with n
1 hunters Joy While | was reloading
the Somalis had crept forward with
their spears, relying upon their own
agility in evading any charge delivered
by the larger one, which knew must
surely be somewhere near at hand.
After peering over low bush they
executed war dance upon the ground
beyond, for there were the two rhi-
uoceroses lying stone dead almost side
by side. My Somalis gave way to
shouts and exuberant mirth they
were transformed from scowling tiends,
soured by the white mans folly, into
radiant brown angels, and | allowed
them to stroke my face and pat me on
the back without Il reprimand