Page 128 - Adventures in Africa

we fancied that we had killed on the previous day.
Toko made for a tree behind which he could shelter

himself. I called to my friends to draw their atten­
tion to the danger in which he was placed, but to my
dismay before he could reach the tree the rhinoceros
was upon him. There was no time to leap either to

the one side or the other, but as the animal's sharp
horn was about to transfix him, he made a spring as
if to avoid it, but he was not in time, and the animal,

throwing up its head, sent him and his rifle floating
into the air to the height of several feet. The rhino­
ceros then charged 011 towards the men cutting up
the elephant, when my uncle and his companions,

having seized their rifles, began blazing away at it.
Fortunately one of their shots took effect, and before
it had reached the blacks, down it sank to the ground.

While TIarry hastened on to where Toko lay, my
uncle and Mr, Wei bourn e, quickly reloading, fired
into its head and finished its existence.
1 had ridden up to the Makololo, expecting to find

every bone in his body broken. As I approached, to
my satisfaction I saw him get up; and though he
limped somewhat, after shaking himself and picking

up his rifle, he declared that he was not much the
worse for the fearful toss he had received, and was as
ready as ever for work.
He soon rejoined the rest of the men, and assisted
in packing the oxen with the tusks and meat. Some

of the flesh of the rhinoceros was also cut off, and
with the Hon-skifl packed up. Rhinoceros meat,
though tough, is of good flavour. The portions we

carried off were from the upper part of the shoulder