The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-23
Had an Exciting Session With
a Charging Rhino.
WON OUT AS USUAL.
Beast Dropped Dead Only Thir-
teen PAGES Away.
Giraffe Is a Striking Feature Of
African Landscape.

new York. Nov. 23-In Colonel
Roosevelt's third installment of his
serial african Game Trails" which
Is running in Scribner'sz he tells of
some of his interesting hunting ex-
per1ences in the field. Amorg the
most thrilling of these was his con-
Met with charging rhino which was
not finally brought to earth until it
got within thirteen PAGES of the hunt
ing party. OF this exciting incident,
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote:
The huge beast was standing in
entirely open country, although there
were few scattered trees of no
great size at some little distance from
him. We left our horses in a din of
the ground and began the approach;
1 cannot say that we stalked him. for
the approach was too easy. The wind
blew from him to us. and a rhino's
eyeslght is dull. Thirty yards from
where he stood was a bush four or
hve feet high, and though it was so
thin that we could distinctly see him
through the leaves. it shielded us
from the vision of his small piglike
eyes as we advanced toward il. stoop-
ing and in single file, 1 leading The
big beast stood like an uncouth
statue, his hide black in the sunlight:
he seemed what he was a monster
surviving over from the worlds past,
from the days when the beasts of the
tprime ran riot in their strength, be-
fore man grew SO cunning of brain
and hand as; tos master them. So lit
tie did he dream of, our presence that
when we were a hundred yards off he
actually lay down. ~
walking lightly, and with every
sense keyed up, we at last reached the
bush, and 1 pushed forward the safety
of double-barrelled Holland rifle
which 1 was now to use for the first
time on big game. AS 1 stepped to
one side of the bush so as to get
clear aim, with Slater following, the
rhino saw me and jumped to his feet
| with the agility of a polo pony. AS
| he rose / put in the right barrel, the
| bullet going through both lungs. At
the same moment he wheeled, the
blood spouting from his nostrils. and
galloped full on us. Before he could
get quite all the way round in his
headlong rush to reach us, I struck
him with my left-hand barrel. the
bullet entering between the neck and
shoulder and piercing his heart At
the same instant Captain Slater fired,
his bullet entering the neck vertebrae-
Ploughing up the ground with horn
and feet, the great bull rhino, still
head toward us, dropped just thirteen
PAGES from where we stood"
| Giraffe a Stately Beast.
To Colonel Roosevelts mind tSere IS
nothing more striking on the African
landscape than the stately giraffe and
he tells about them as follows:
| "Of all the beasts in an African lanG-
scape none is more striking than the
| giraffe. Usually it is found in small;
| parties or in herds of fifteen of twenty
or more individuals. Although it viii
! drink regularly if occasion offers it is
| able to get along without water for
months at time, and frequents by
| choice the dry plains or else the
| stretches of open forest where the trees
are scattered and ordinarily somewhat
| iJrn he hi ir00 "a 0rdt l.
nary or prehensile-l Tipped rhinoceros-
| the giraffe is a browsing and not a
| grazing animal. The leaves, buds, and
| twigs of the mimosas or thorn trees
| form it's customary food. Its extra
| ordinary height enables it to bring into
| play to the best possible advantage its
/ noteworthy powers OF vision. and no
| animal is harder to approach unseen
Again and again have made it out a
| mile off or rather have seen 1t a mile
off when it was pointed out to me. and
looking at it through my glasses. would
see that it was gazing steadily at U.S. Il
is a striking looking animal and hand
some in it's way, but its length of leg
and neck and sloping back make it az
pear awkward even at rest When
alarmed it may go off at a long swing
ing pace or walk, but if really fright
ened it strikes into a peculiar gallop or
canter The tail is cooked and twisted.
and the huge hind legs are thrown for
! ward and well to the outside of the
| forelegs. The movements seem delib-
crate and the giraffe does not appear ca
| be going at a fast pace. but If it has
| any start a horse must ga11op hard
to overtake it. When it starts on this
| gait the neck may be dropped forward
at a sharp angle with the straight line
of the deep chest, and the big head is
thrust in advance. They are Defence
less things, and, though they may kick
at a man who incautiously comes with
in reach, they are in no way danger
! ous."