The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-07-15

stepped good-naturedly between us and
made him see that it was only my ig-
norance and not my bad intention
which had given him so great a fright.
My first rhinoceros / encountered
during that same expedition AS 1 was
slightly in advance of the others my
uncle, Theunis Kruger, gave me per-
mission to fire, and | was so fortunate
as to bring him down with the first
shot. l had an ugly experience OF the
next occasion that we, my brother-in-
law and faithful hunting companion, n.
Theunissen and / hunted rhinoceros.
II must first mention that we made
an agreement by which the one who be-
haved recklessly, or through coward
ice allowed game which was merely
wounded to escape, should receive a
sound thrashing. There was something
wrong with my rifle on the morning we
started, and i was obliged to take an
old two-barrelled gun, one barrel of
which was injured, consequently its
driving power was considerably lessen
ed. / knew that a shot was thrown
away on a rhinoceros unless you man
aged to send it through the thin part of
them. a bull and two cows. They were
brutes. ["Rhenoster' is the Afrkiander
for rhinoceros. "Witharnoster' is a
white oceros.-Translator's motel
told Theunissen to follow the two cows
and not to lose sight of them. 1t was
my intention to kill the bull and then
join in pursuit of the cows. My com
rade fired from time to time to let me
know where he was, for he was soon
out of sight in the thick underground
of the wood. When / had passed the
rhinoceros l jumped from my horse to
shoot him. l placed myself so that he
had to pass me within ten PAGES; this
would give me good opportunity to
hit him in a vulnerable place. one bull
let killed him outright. / mounted and
rode as fast as l could go in the direc-
ton whence l heard Theunissens gun,
loading my re as ! galloped. He had
just sent a second bullet into one of
the COWS as / came up. The brute
stood quite still. ! saw that the animal
was trying to get away through the
underwood, which was less dense here
than anywhere else, and | went after
her. AS / rode past my comrade he
called out:
Don't dismount in front of the
beast; she's awfully Wild and can run
like anything
II did not pay much attention to the
warning, knowing Theunissen to be
over-cautious, but jumped off my horse
and ran obliquely past the rhinoceros.
She had scarcely caught sight of me
no .,I,n In, \,
ed her to come within n distance of
three or four yards. When | fired the
percussion cap refused, and there was
no time for "A second shot. The ami
NAL was close upon me, and there was
nothing to be done but to turn round
and run for dear life. In attempting 10
do so, my foot struck against the thorn
roots, and / came down Hat on my face.
The beast was upon me, the dangerous
horn just missed my back. she pinned
me to the ground with her snout, in
tending to trample me Ia death, But
at that moment | turned under her and
got the contents OF the second barrel
full under the shoulder blade, right into
her heart, | owed my life 10 not let
ting go my hold of the gun during this
dangerous adventure, The rhinoceros
sprang away from mo, hut fell down
dead few yards away,
My brolhor-ln-law hurried up as fast
as he could fnr he thoughl | had been
W0rIally wounded by ms own Sun in
thls deadly combat Whrn b. saw,
however mat I NaH slppiing az safe
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