ground, with shrubs growing amidst it, appeared ahead. At last they saw
before them a clump of mimosa bushes.

"Oh, do let us rest there for a short time," exclaimed Percy. "I think
I shall then be able to get on better. I am keeping you back, I know,
but I cannot help it."

"Don't let that trouble you. I feel pretty tired myself," answered
Denis; and they directed their course towards the bushes.

Their meat was rather high by this time, but they had no inclination to
eat, and were too tired to collect wood for a fire. Percy threw himself
on the ground in the shade, where Raff had already lain down. Denis
seated himself by his side. He had scarcely been there a moment, when
he started up, whispering--

"I hear some animal moving on the other side of the wood. It may be a
deer, and I must not lose the chance of killing it."

He stole cautiously among the bushes, endeavouring to discover the
animal he fancied he had heard. He had got a hundred and fifty yards or
so from his friend, when what was his horror to see rushing towards him
a huge black rhinoceros! The creature did not see him, and perhaps
would not have observed Percy, had not Raff started up and begun barking
furiously. This aroused Percy, who, getting on his feet, thus exposed
himself to the view of the rhinoceros. He would have been more prudent
had he remained perfectly quiet. The rhinoceros looked at him savagely,
when Percy levelled his rifle, but instead of waiting till the animal
had got near him, fired; the bullet grazing the creature's head, excited
its rage, and on it rushed, with its horn lowered, directly towards the
hapless lad. In another instant that fearful weapon would have been
plunged into his body. Denis trembled for the safety of his friend; for
he knew, should he fire, that his bullet was more likely to wound him
than the rhinoceros. Percy's death seemed certain, when at that moment,
bursting through the wood, a young Zulu warrior appeared, with rifle in
hand, shouting and shrieking to attract the animal's attention. This
had the effect of making the savage brute turn its eyes towards him. He
fired. The rhinoceros was still rushing on, when its knees bent, its
head sank down, and its horn ploughed along the ground. In another
instant it would have been up to Percy, had not the Zulu, bounding
forward, seized him in his arms, and carried him a few paces from the
spot where he had been lying, which the rhinoceros reac