The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-05-05
His sulkiness. the Rhino.

Viewed from any angle, the average
everyday rhinocerous looms up n brute
creation az the symbol 81 CROUCH.
Moreover, be not only looks il, but he
seems 10 feel it, too II "a inerained
and perennial, Morning, noon and
night be works his temper overtime.
Tie Is i'll knmor incaFnate.
Some persons affect to laugh when
FIRST they see onr friend IN fact, so
did I, II was ont IN the open Of the
Olgerei country, IN British East Africa,
down below Nairbi; and what first
beheld WAS a kind Of mammoth pig,
a snrt Of monstfOus survival from the
hazily remote primeyal past. Indeed
grinned; for here stood nis sHlkiness
fat-harreled, dirty gray creature,
poised stodgily on short ridiculous legs,
and porting Oh the world about him with
suriy raneor
There was no installing that express
sion The beasts small. wicked eyes
winked IN q head that was at once
formidable and grotesque One re-
marked particularly the look Of those
ugly little obs. Behind their sonr
fretful dullness burned another light,
AN evil. menaoing glow, which. however
comical our friend might seem at a
distance one saw AZ closer range with
anything but plaoidity.
In my opinion. the head j. the most
extraordinary thing about the rhiuo- It
IS grotesque because size out Of PRO,
portion to the remainder OF the body.
Then there are tho aFect, atuhby ears;
the prehensile upper lip, curiously long
and pointed and tho strangely placed
horns, which vary anywhere from a few
inches to three and half feet in
length AZ first sight, they seem grotes-
que like the rest 81 him, and supeFhous
unless perhaps, their use be u help
him root around like porkcr n an
orchard. And they are curious TOO. in
being built entirely Of hair tightly CONS
pressed By lts growth.
On near acquaintance. however. one
diseerns their grim utility At the
charge. our friend stubs bic head down
ward close to earth, wheFeupon the horn
projects straight forward like a sword
Ia this position the accomplished rhino
Is able TO skewer a man. fer example,
AZ readily as one drives 4 needle through
r. WHfN MA NNAHAtts saAttAf Us Wis iftfta HAfE@
down. bis tail sticks out. This II about
two feet long, piglike and bare save
for wiry tassei at the tip. and 10 all
cases Is flown as a battle signal when
going into action Since the rhino aver
ages two tons and more bis charge
lacks little 81 impressiyeness His GRO
tesqueness IS not then his most notice.
ably quality.
But how about his Disposition Some
say, yon understand Z among them
that our friend Is an ugly customer.
Our school holds that the gentleman
always IS looking for trouble, that he
hunts il without provoea ton. and that
he win charge az sight, az sound, or
at a smell believe so, because
have seen him do It. However. the
rhinos disposition varies with the local
itY and even with individuals 81
given region In this respect. he IS like
all other animals Ike man AZ well
have seen the rhino ran ct sight Of
an enemy; | have seen him stand his
ground impassively, charging only when
re was provoked And also | have
seen him rush forward Voluntarily, ready
10 give battle TO all within his reach. -
A. Radcliffe Dugmore in Eveybody's.