It Was Of No
Use, The Pace Was Too Severe, And, Although Running Wonderfully,
He Was Obliged To Give Way To The Horses.
Only three now followed
the rhinoceros--Taher Sheriff, his brother Roder, and myself.
I
had been obliged to give the second place to Roder, as he was a
mere monkey in weight; but I was a close third. The excitement
was intense--we neared the jungle, and the rhinoceros began to
show signs of flagging, as the dust puffed up before their
nostrils, and, with noses close to the ground, they snorted as
they still galloped on. Oh for a fresh horse! "A horse ! a horse!
my kingdom for a horse!" We were within two hundred yards of the
jungle; but the horses were all done. Tetel reeled as I urged him
forward, Roder pushed ahead; we were close to the dense thorns,
and the rhinoceros broke into a trot; they were done! "Now,
Taher, for-r-a-a-r-r-d! for-r-r-a-a-r-d, Taher!!!" Away he
went--he was close to the very heels of the beasts; but his horse
could do no more than his present pace; still he gained upon the
nearest; he leaned forward with his sword raised for the
blow--another moment, and the jungle would be reached! One effort
more, and the sword flashed in the sunshine, as the rearmost
rhinoceros disappeared in the thick screen of thorns, with a gash
about a foot long upon his hind-quarters.
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