Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-06-26


animal has buried more hunters than
all other big game combined 1t
seems to be the hired assassin of the
jungle. It's success as a homicide is
not due to the fact that it seeks it's
victim, but because it's victim falls
over it. If the rhino knows that there
is an enemy about, it will try to get
away without being seen. If, on the
other hand it thinks that by keeping
still it will be passed unnoticed, it
stays as silent and motionless as
Gibraltar, its little hog eyes watching
the direction of the noise and it's nose
shifting the air Should an enemy
show up suddenly in the jungle the
rhino charges like flash, nose down
and horns leveled like swords for the
thrust, its huge bulk crushing through
the brush like an express train. 1t is
always a fight to the DEATH for
rhinoceroS once in a fight wins or
dies, and it mostly wins, if it is not
confronted with an express rifle in
the hands of a COOL good shot. 1t
was the express in the hands of
cool shot that saved me in the en-
counter related here.
We had been out nearly a year and
were returning to civilization, such
as it is on the East African coast
with a good stock of ivory. My part
ner, Jappie de Villiers, a well-known
iBoer hunter, had fever and was ex-
pected to die at any moment He
had been carried 800 miles from the
interior in a hammock If de Villiers
had not been i'll 1 would not be alive
to-day.
We were pitching camp at the
Kagera river on one of these mex
'plicable barren patches that are scat
tered like freckles over the face of
the tropical forests.
1 hung our rifles on the limbs of the
trees which supported my sick COM
rade's hammock The porters were
collecting drywood for the night fires
as 1 watched a monster crocodile in
the water making a futile effort to
swallow friend nearly as big as it
self. A party of natives from a near
by village was skinning a beast we
had shot for food. In another group
Icy boys" were opening the bundles
Of CAMPING necessities. A loud grunt,
Followed by a Somali's cry came
from the jungle side of the camp, and
the next instant the screeching So
mali, followed by a huge rhinoceros,
burst through the underground. The
sSomaG ran for a tree. He tripped
Dver an ammunition box, the rhino
passed him in its blind fury and
charged down on the cIump of por-
.ters scattering them like chaff be-
lore the wind. One was crushed
down. Another who had stumbled
rose to run, the maddened beast
charged and thrust its horn through
his back, battered him against tree,
and then hurled him in the air.
Close Call for a Brave Hunter.
1 was reaching for my rife when
the rhino caught sight OF me. 1t was
too late. 1 turned and ran toward the
river A dive womb <aiSa me. 1
thought of the .T0esniilss. felt the
puff of the rhuno's foul breeia MY
heart sank. ( Aad one chance to
Jump aside ana set the rhino pass. I
dumped, and the ~oaring animal wiped
Its gore-stainee cheek on me as /
did I doubled on my tracks, the
Iemoniac brute fsething in fury after
me. As passed under the hammock
where my comrade lay between life
and death, there was vivid flash, a
deafening roar filled the world, and I
fell The rhinoceros rolled over,
squirting a stream of hot blood ON
me from : wound in its neck. looked
up, dazed and Sreathless- I didn't
know whether was dead or alive. 1
felt the huge, throbbing carcass be
side me. The yellow fever-stained,
hollow-eyed face of De Villiers looked
over the hammock and asked, Are
you hurt?'
Il think not" 1 answered. What
happened?"
got no answer. De Villiers sank
back with a groan. l sprang to the
side of the hammock. l thought he
Eas dead His breast was covered