CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
THE TABLES TURNED.
The rhinoceros did not see Mr Rogers at first, but went straight backupon its own trail, lowering its head from time to time, and literallyploughing its way through the tangled grass with its horn, which, drivenby the weight behind, scattered the roots and fragments on either side.
The dogs, rejoicing in the change of position, snapped and barked at itsheels; and as the boys galloped on, with their rifles ready and at fullcock, they could note more at their ease the peculiarity of the animal'smake. This was ponderous to a degree, and the great folds of skin atthe shoulders and haunches as they worked while the beast gallopedalong, made it look as if the greater part of its body was covered by ahuge shell like that of a tortoise.
But now all at once the monster seemed to have caught sight of MrRogers and the big bay, for it uttered a peculiar hoarse squeal, gaveits little tail a twist, tossed its head as it leaped clumsily from theground, and then, lowering its horn, dashed straight at the new enemybefore it.
Upon seeing this change of front Dick leaped from his horse, and Jackdid likewise, the cobs standing perfectly still, with the reins thrownover their heads to trail upon the ground at their feet. Then goingdown upon one knee as the rhinoceros, instead of being tail on, nowpresented its side, they took careful aim and fired.
_Crack_! _thud_!
_Crack_! _thud_!
The reports of the two rifles were followed by what seemed to be a dullecho, telling them plainly enough that their shots had told.
The rhinoceros stopped short and shook its head, and they saw it try toturn it, as if to touch a tender or ticklish place with its nose.
The next moment there was another report, as Mr Rogers fired, and thethud that followed told of a fresh hit.
The rhinoceros shook its head again, whisked round in the most absurdway, and went off at a clumsy gallop, followed by a couple more shotsfrom the boys' rifles.
"Waste of lead! waste of lead!" cried Mr Rogers, cantering up. "Well,what do you think of the rhinoceros?"
"Oh, what a brute, father!" cried Dick, remounting. "Let's go on afterit. He's badly hit."
"He's hit, certainly," said Mr Rogers; "but unless you can well chooseyour spot those shots of ours would do very little more than make a soreplace under the creature's hide. He's like an old-fashioned man-at-armsin his buff jerkin."
"But let's go after it, father," cried Jack.
"No, I would not to-day, my boy. `Discretion,' you know, is the betterpart of valour, and the horses are overdone as it is. We shall knowwhere to go another time, so let it rest for the present."
"But that great brute will be rushing out at us at all sorts of times,"said Jack.
"Then you must keep the better look out. If you fire at it again, youmust aim before the shoulder, mind; take him as he's coming, if youdon't feel too nervous."
Jack looked at his father, and then at Dick, and then they both laughed.
"Well father, it does make you feel queer to have that great brutethundering down upon you," said Dick.
"You would be curious beings if you did not," said Mr Rogers, laughing."But you must take care, boys, for the rhinoceros is a very dangerousbeast; and it will charge at anything, even at a tree if it is in itsway."
"Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!" laughed Jack.
"What are you laughing at?" said his father.
"I was just thinking that I should like to see that great brute afterDinny, and Dinny scuffling up a tree to get out of its way."
"Yes, it would be good fun," said Dick; "but I should like Dinny to havea good start."
"He would need it," said Mr Rogers gravely; and they rode on gentlyback to the camp.
There was fresh news here, for both the General and Coffee had to reportthat they had seen rhinoceros, and upon comparing notes, it was veryevident that it could not be the same, unless the creature could havebeen in three places at once.
This was promising, for, in spite of the danger, they all wanted tonumber one of the great beasts in the list of the game they shot.
But during the next few days, with the exception of the daily shootingof an antelope for the larder, they saw no great game, even failing toput up the big rhinoceros when they rode over the same ground again.
They found the lair in amongst the thick bushes and dried grass, thedogs running through it from side to side, while the three hunters satwith presented pieces, ready to shoot at the first charge. They keptwell apart too, so as to be ready to help the one at whom the rhinoceroscame; but they saw nothing of the beast, and it was evident that it hadshifted its quarters.
The weather had been intensely hot and dry, so that the long reedy grasscrackled and rustled as they passed along, and in places the tramp ofthe horses' hoofs sent the dust flying in clouds.
One evening towards sunset they were about ten miles from the camp, andwearied out with the heat and sultriness of the air which for days pasthad threatened a storm; they were riding listlessly across a wide plainthat was being rapidly turned into a regular desert for want ofrefreshing rain.
Nobody had spoken for some time, when suddenly Jack exclaimed,--
"Look! the plain is on fire."
The horses were reined in, and as they gazed in the direction pointedout, it was evident that there was what seemed to be a very large firerolling across the plain; the white smoke-clouds rising quite high.
"Is it the grass on fire?" said Dick, as Mr Rogers brought his littledouble glass to bear.
"It is no fire at all," said his father, "but dust. There is a greatherd of buffalo crossing the plain, and we ought to get a shot."
Click! click! went the lock of Jack's rifle, and he leaped down totighten his girths.
"No!" said Mr Rogers; "they are oxen and horsemen. It is a large partycrossing the plain--an emigration of Boers, I'll be bound."
They rode gently on towards the long line of dust-clouds, which waspassing at right angles to them; and as they drew nearer they couldplainly see beneath the lurid sky figures of men on horseback, blacksmounted on oxen, and waggon after waggon with its enormously long team.
As they approached, some of the sun-tanned, dejected-looking men ridingin front turned their heads, and stared sullenly at the little party,but they seemed to have no desire for any friendly intercourse; and whenMr Rogers spoke to them they replied sullenly in broken English mixedwith Dutch, that they were going north.
They were curious-looking men from an English point of view, and wouldhave been greatly improved by the use of a pair of scissors to theirlong, abundant, fair hair. Each man carried his rifle ready for thefirst enemy that might cross his path, and their numerous black servantstrudged on with loads or rode the oxen.
These blacks, too, took the attention of the boys, one being a perfectgiant in his way, a great square shouldered fellow of quite six-feet-sixin height; while another, mounted upon an ox, had his hair twisted upinto a couple of points, standing up from his head like the horns of anantelope.
Every one looked jaded and worn out, as if with a long journey; and thedejected aspect of the masters was traceable even in their dogs, one ofwhich went on in front with his head, down and tongue lolling out,aiming evidently at some particular point.
So surly were the leaders of the party that Mr Rogers made no furthereffort to be friendly, but sat with his sons looking-on, till the wholetroop, extending several hundred yards, had filed by, under the cloud ofdust shuffled up by the oxen's feet; and then, as the littlehunting-party rode on, they could see as it were a cloud go rollingslowly over the plain, the emigrant party being quite hidden by itsfolds, till the dreary dust-covered plain was passed.
"How are we to get at these rhinoceroses?" said Mr Rogers, as they rodehomeward. "We must have one, boys; but I don't want to have out theZulus to track, for fear of their getting injured."
"Perhaps we shall come across one, father, when we don't expect it,"said Dick. "Let's try to get a giraffe or two, and we may find ar
hinoceros without hunting for it."
"Very wisely said," replied Mr Rogers; "perhaps we shall."