Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-08-13

gratulat1n. mySelf tnaC nau not nau
this long crawl, with the sun beating
OH the back of my neck like fur
mace. all for nothing, I heard the hiss
ing notes of the rhinoceros birds. and
u2 flew four or five of them from
the brute's back, where they had been
comfortably employed in catching
ticks.
Now this performance on the part of
the birds is to a rhinOceros what the
word 'cave" is to a schoolboy: 1t puts
him on the qui vlve at once.
Before the birds were well in the air
1 saw the grass stir.
"Down you go!' whispered to the
boys, and as l did SO the rhinoceros
got up and glared suspiciously around.
But he could see nothing; indeed,
IL we had been standing up doubt II
he would have seen us at that dis.
tance.
So he merely gave two or three shifts,
and then lay down, his head still down
wind, the birds once more settling OH
his back.
But 1t was clear to me that he was
sleeping with one eye open. and gen.
orally in n suspicious and unchristian
frame of mind, and that it was USE
less to proceed farther Oh that stalk;
so we quietly withdrew to consider the
position and study the ground.
The results were not satisfactory.
There was absolutely no cover about
except the ant-heap, which was some
three hundred yards from the rhinoc.
eros upon his up-wind side.
knew that if l tried to stalk him
in front should fail, and so l should
If attempted to do so from the
farther side; he or the birds would see
inc.
So | came to a conclusion: would
20 to the ant-heap, which would give
him my wind, and instead Of stalking
him would let him stalk me.
1t was a bold step, and one which I
should never advise a hunter to take,
but somehow l felt rs though rhino
and I must play the hand out.
explained my intentions to the men,
who both held up their hands in hor-
ror.
Their fears for my safety were a lit
tie mitigated, however, when l told
them that did not expect them to
come with me.
GObo breathed prayer that might
not meet fate walking about, and the
other one sincerely trusted that my
spirit might look my way when the
rhinoceros charged. and then they both
departed to place Of safety.
Taking my eight-bore and half a
dozen spare cartridges in my pocket
| made a detour, and reaching the ant
heap in safety. lay down.
For a moment the wind had dropped.
but presently gentle puff of air
passed over me and blew on toward
the rhinoceros.
BY the way. wonder what it is that
smells so strong about man?
Is it his body or his breath?
I have never been able to make out,
but | saw somewhere the other day
that in the duck decoys the man who
is working the ducks holds little
piece of burning turf before his mouth,
and If lie does this they cannot smell
him, which looks as though it were the
breath.
Well. whatever it was about me that
attracted his attention the rhinoceros
soon smelled me, and within half q
minute after the puff Of wind had
passed he was up and turning round
to get his head up wind.
There he stood for few seconds and
shifted. and then he began to move,
first of all at trot, then, as the scent
grew stronger, at furious gallop.
On he came snorting like runaway
engine, with his tail stuck straight up
In the air; If he had seen me lie down
there, he could not have made better
line.
1t was rather nervous work, I can
tell you. lying there waiting for his
onslaught, for he looked like noun
tain of flesh.
l determined, however, not to fire till
I could plainly see his eye, for I think
that rule always gives one the right
distance for big game.
So l rested my rifle on the ant-heap
and waited for him, kneeling.
At last, when he was about forty
yards. away, l saw that the time had
come. aud aiming straight for the mid
die Of the chest pulled.
Thud went the heavy bullet, and with
tremendous snort over rolled the
rhinoceros beneath its shock, just like
IA shot rabbit.
But IL l had thought that he was
done for I was mistaken, for In an
other second he was up and coming at
me rs hard as ever, only with his head
held low.
waited till he was within ten yards.
! in the hope that he would expose his
chest, but he would do nothing of the
! sort.
So just had to fire at his head with
! the left barrel. and take my chance.
Well, as luck would have it, of
course, the animal put his horn III the
way of the bullet, which cut clean
through it about two inches above the
root. and then glanced off into space.
After that things got rather serious
| My gun was empty and the rhinoc
eros was rapidly arriving-so rapidly
i indeed. that l came to the conclusion
that had better make way for him.
Accordingly jumped to my feet and
| ..,, g., tha viyhf no hard ar 7 coylid 90