Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-17
RHINocERos HUNTING.
Narrow Escape Of Man Who Met
Monster In Jungle.

Monster In Jungle.
tracks, and twice we had heard rhino,
but in cover so dense that it was i'm
possible to see it. Throughout all
these days my men had been very pa
tient; and Uda, who said this partic-
ular section was much like Java, where
he professed to have hunted much, now
expressed confidence in our finally
getting rhino. One morning early we
got on quite fresh tracks, which we
followed for several hours through very
dense underground, the rhino mean
while seeking all the mud holes in the
direction Of his route. We Travelled
these tracks until noon as swiftly as
we could, and as silently, and as they
continued so fresh and little more than
a breath Of air appeared to be stir
ring, we went along stealthily, expect
ing to come up with the quarry at any
time. But 1t was nearing o'clock
with the chill Of approaching sunset
beginning to settle upon the jungle,
and still we followed the tracks hope
fully-though unrewarded. Then the
tracks led into and across one Of those
mound containing spaces to which I
have referred.
It occurred to me as a useful thought
to get on top Of the mound which hap
pened to be a biggish one, and make
the best survey the lookout permitted
Of the other side Of the space where the
jungle was thinnish. And, by the
gods, there, barely discernible, was the
long sought-for rhino moving around
like a great hog. Having more conf
dence in these natives than had felt
in those elsewhere in Sumatra, I had
given my so to Bilal, who was d.
rectly at my heels-Uda and Che had
not yet come UP to us-and I carried
my 12-bore. The rhino was perhaps
not over 20 yards away, yet I could
see him very indistinctly, and I feared
to maneuver for better position lest
he get my wind and move away into
the denser jungle, where to view him
at even 10 yards would be most for
tunate opportunity; so taking the best
sight I could get as he squashed about,
heading somewhat in my direction, I
put the contents of both barrels, one
after the other, as quickly as I could
pull the triggers, just behind one Of
his shoulders and ranging back. There
was a tremendous commotion as he
disappeared, so quickly as to astonish
me, with a crash into the jungle.
Standing on the mound could feel a
very little wind and note it was blow
ing across my position from east to
west, as the rhino made off to the
southwest, I felt sure he would cross
my wind and that If he did he would
be likely to charge. It seemed at the
moment to be my best chance Of an
other shot, for Of course, could not
begin to get through the thick jungle
at the pace he was going, and would
have been left far behind had I at
tempted to follow. So held my posi-
ton, awaiting developments knowing
I could track him later, If nothing in
teresting happened in the immediate
future.
Meanwhile could not determine his
exact location, but while Immediately
after the report he seemed going away,
in another few moments it appeared to
me he was coming toward the open
space. Meantime I was endeavoring
to get the cartridges out Of the 12-bore,
which had a defective ejector, and, as
was lingering with this, the rhino
broke from the jungle, coming directly
toward me, charging truly up-wind.
1t was not over 40 feet from where he
broke out Of the jungle to where stood
on the mound, the latter being perhaps
20 feet in diameter and the rhino came
on without hesitation and without noise
except that made by his feet and huge
bulk, his head held straight out, not
lowered like a bull, and with his little
eye squirting savagely. I had hastily
handed the 12-bore over to Bilal, TAX
ing the so when the rhino broke from
the jungle, and as he came up onto the
mound, I fired twice for that wicked
eye (the eye Of charging rhino Is a
pretty small mark perhaps you may
know, once making a slight superficial
wound on the forehead, and again
sending the ball into the fleshy part
of the fore shoulder. Neither shot
made impression on the rhino, which
kept coming.
But now he was not more than 10
feet from me, 1 should say, and I had
just pumped another shell into the bar
rel, when suddenly I was thrown off
my feet and over the side Of the
mound. AS I went into the air, ex-
pected every second to feel the rhinos
horn in my side; but held on to my
rifle (Which, curiously, did not go of,
although at full cock) and, when l fell,
scrambled to my feet as quickly as l
could. To my great relief the rhino
had crossed the mound and was run
ming toward the jungle, with appar-
emily no more thought Of me than II
l had not stood in his path a few Sec
onds before. 1t did not take me long
10 put d pdi III DdCh VI Ills Ce1it e1ho AZ
dropped like a stone-without sound.
He had but single horn on the low
er part Of his nose, four inches In
height, and kind of knob where had
been, or was to be, another above II.
The usual Indian rhino, including the
smaller Malay, have one horn, but
some of the Sumatra variety have two.
1t was an experience rather conclus-
i've on the question Of the rhino charg-
ing by scent rather than by sight. He
charged straight toward me up-Wind,
and when 1 dropped off the mound, to
the south, was thrown off his scent