the
steep places at a rush, swerving neither to the right nor to the left,
and, as they rode down, the wide expanse of valley sank out of sight
behind the approaching skirmishers of oak and hawthorn. They skirted a
sudden hollow with the pool of a spring, rank weeds and silver bushes.
The ground grew softer and the grass taller, and on the right-hand side
and the left came scattered bushes of May--still splashed with belated
blossom. Presently the bushes thickened until they lashed the passing
rider, and little flashes and gouts of blood came out on horse and man.
Then the way opened again.

And then came a wonderful adventure. A sudden squeal of unreasonable
anger rose amidst the bushes, the squeal of some creature bitterly
wronged. And crashing after them appeared a big, grey-blue shape. It was
Yaaa the big-horned rhinoceros, in one of those fits of fury of his,
charging full tilt, after the manner of his kind. He had been startled
at his feeding, and someone, it did not matter who, was to be ripped and
trampled therefore. He was bearing down on them from the left, with his
wicked little eye red, his great horn down and his tail like a
jury-mast behind him. For a minute Ugh-lomi was minded to slip off and
dodge, and then behold! the staccato of the hoofs grew swifter, and the
rhinoceros and his stumpy hurrying little legs seemed to slide out at
the back corner of Ugh-lomi's eye. In two minutes they were through the
bushes of May, and out in the open, going fast. For a space he could
hear the ponderous paces in pursuit receding behind him, and then it was
just as if Yaaa had not lost his temper, as if Yaaa had never existed.

The pace never faltered, on they rode and on.

Ugh-lomi was now all exultation. To exult in those days was to insult.
"Ya-ha! big nose!" he said, trying to crane back and see some remote
speck of a pursuer. "Why don't you carry your smiting-stone in your
fist?" he ended with a frantic whoop.

But that whoop was unfortunate, for coming close to the ear of the
horse, and being quite unexpected, it startled the stallion extremely.
He shied violently. Ugh-lomi suddenly found himself uncomfortable again.
He was hanging on to the horse, he found, by one arm and one knee.

The rest of the ride was honourable but unpleasant. The view was
chiefly of blue sky, and that was combined with the most unpleasant
physical sensations. Finally, a bush of thorn lashed him and he let go.

He hit the ground with