t the same moment a tremendous crash was heard behind him,
followed a minute afterwards by a dull heavy shock. Nick sprung up
again, notwithstanding the cuts and bruises he had received, and glanced
hastily round him, expecting to see his terrible antagonist close on his
flank. But, to his amazement, the creature had disappeared! There was
the open space between the thorn bushes, through which he had just
passed, and there was the long grass through which he had rushed, but
where was the fierce pursuer, who was scarcely four yards behind him?

While he was gazing round him in a maze of alarm and wonder, he heard
Lavie's voice close to him. "You may be thankful for the narrowest
escape I ever remember to have witnessed!" he said.

"Where, where is the rhinoceros?" stammered Nick.

"Down at the bottom of that pit, into which you would have tumbled
yourself, if you hadn't been running like a lamplighter. I'll just see
if the poor brute is alive or not, and if he is, put a charge through
his brain."

He peered cautiously down the hole, but all was still there. The animal
had been impaled on the strong stake always placed at the bottoms of
such traps, and it had probably penetrated the vitals. Satisfied on
this point, he returned to Gilbert, who had now somewhat recovered his
self-possession.

"Why didn't you run when we first called to you?"

"I didn't know you were calling to me. What made the brute attack me?"

"I don't know. The black rhinoceroses very often attack men without any
apparent reason, though the white seldom do so. But what were you
carrying on your back?"

"A black hog, which I had shot--famous eating, you know. We had better
go and fetch it now. It will last us--"

"A hog!" exclaimed De Walden, who with Warley and Wilmore had now joined
them. "I don't fancy there are any wild hogs about here; I never heard
of any. Is this what you call a hog?" he continued, a minute or two
afterwards, when they had reached the place where Nick had thrown his
load down. "Why this is a young rhinoceros--about a week old, I should
say! There is very little mystery now in the mother having charged
after you. Well, you may indeed thank God for your escape! I would not
have given a penny for your life under such circumstances. However, as
we have the animal, we had better take as much of its flesh as we can
carry. It is very excellent eating."

"I should like to examine the pitfall, sir, if you hav