We heard the sharp
whistling snort, with a tremendous rush through the high grass
and thorns close to us; and at the same moment two of these
determined brutes were upon us in full charge.
I never saw such
a scrimmage; sauve qui peut! There was no time for more than one
look behind. I dug the spurs into Aggahr's flanks, and clasping
him round the neck, I ducked my head down to his shoulder, well
protected with my strong hunting-cap, and I kept the spurs going
as hard as I could ply them, blindly trusting to Providence and
my good horse, over big rocks, fallen trees, thick kittar thorns,
and grass ten feet high, with the two infernal animals in full
chase only a few feet behind me. I heard their abominable
whiffing close to me, but so did good horse also, and the good
old hunter flew over obstacles that I should have thought
impossible, and he dashed straight under the hooked thorn bushes
and doubled like a hare. The aggageers were all scattered;
Mahomet No. 2 was knocked over by a rhinoceros; all the men were
sprawling upon the rocks with their guns, and the party was
entirely discomfited. Having passed the kittar thorn, I turned,
and, seeing that the beasts had gone straight on, I brought
Aggahr's head round, and tried to give chase, but it was
perfectly impossible; it was only a wonder that the horse had
escaped in ground so difficult for riding. Although my clothes
were of the strongest and coarsest Arab cotton cloth, which
seldom tore, but simply lost a thread when caught in a thorn, I
was nearly naked. My blouse was reduced to shreds; as I wore
sleeves only half way from the shoulder to the elbow, my naked
arms were streaming with blood; fortunately my hunting cap was
secured with a chin strap, and still more fortunately I had
grasped the horse's neck, otherwise I must have been dragged out
of the saddle by the hooked thorns. All the men were cut and
bruised, some having fallen upon their heads among the rocks, and
others had hurt their legs in falling in their endeavours to
escape. Mahomet No. 2, the horse-keeper, was more frightened than
hurt, as he had been knocked down by the shoulder and not by the
horn of the rhinoceros, as the animal had not noticed him; its
attention was absorbed by the horse.
I determined to set fire to the whole country immediately, and
descending the hill towards the river to obtain a favourable
wind, I put my men in a line, extending over about a mile along
the river's bed, and they fired the grass in different places.
With a loud roar, the flame leapt high in air and rushed forward
with astonishing velocity; the grass was as inflammable as
tinder, and the strong north wind drove the long line of fire
spreading in every direction through the country.
We now crossed to the other side of the river to avoid the
flames, and we returned towards the camp.
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