out of the thicket in pursuit of the retreating dogs.  Several shots were fired by the Hottentots, who were concealed in different quarters without effect; the animal rushing along and tearing up the ground with its horns, looking out for its enemies.  At last it perceived a Hottentot, who showed himself from a bush near to where our travelers were concealed.  The animal charged immediately, and in charging was brought down on its knees by a shot from Alexander.  The Hottentots rushed out, regardless of Swinton’s calling out to them to be careful, as the animal was not dead, and had surrounded it within a few yards, when it rose again and fiercely charged Swanevelt, who narrowly escaped.  A shot from the Major put an end to its career, and they then walked to where the animal lay, when a cry from Omrah, who was standing near the river, attracted their notice, and they perceived that the male rhinoceros, of whose presence they were not aware, had just burst out of the same covert, and was charging toward them.

Every one immediately took to his heels; many of the Hottentots in their fear dropping their muskets, and fortunately the distance they were from the covert gave them time to conceal themselves in the thickets before the animal had time to come up with them.  A shot from Swinton turned the assailant, who now tore up the earth in his rage, looking everywhere round with its sharp flashing eye for a victim.  At this moment, while it seemed hesitating and peering about, to the astonishment of the whole party, Omrah showed himself openly on the other side of the rhinoceros, waving his red handkerchief, which he had taken off his head.  The rhinoceros, the moment that the boy caught his eye, rushed furiously toward him.  “The boy’s lost,” cried Swinton; but hardly had the words gone from his mouth, when to their astonishment, the rhinoceros disappeared, and Omrah stood capering and shouting with delight.  The fact was that Omrah, when he had left our travelers, had gone down toward the river, and as he went along had with his light weight passed over what he knew full well to be one of the deep pits dug by the Bushmen to catch those animals.  Having fully satisfied himself that it was so, he had remained by the side of it, and when the rhinoceros rushed at him, had kept the pit between himself and the animal.  His object was to induce the animal to charge at him, which it did, and when within four yards of the lad, had plunged into the pit dug for him.  The success of Omrah’s plan explained the whole matter at once, and our travelers hastened up to where the rhinoceros was impounded, and found that a large stake, fixed upright in the center of the pit, had impaled the animal.  A shot from the Major put an end to the fury and agony of the animal.

“I never was more excited in my life; I thought the boy was mad and wanted to lose his life,” said Alexander.