mself up to go on with it, and watched the
open space before him, lit up by the moon which shone full upon his
face.

"Maybe he's only playing wid me, the black little haythen," thought
Dinny, "and there's no big pig to be seen here at all. But he shan't
see that I'm a bit freckened annyhow, for I'll shtand my ground till he
comes down and says we'd better go."

So Dinny stood watching there till he began to feel drowsy, and this
made him lean against the great trunk, his head began to nod, and twice
over he was pretty well asleep.

"Shure, an' I'll catch cowld if I do that," he said to himself, as he
gave himself a bit of a shake. "I don't see what's the good o' waiting
here, and--murther! look at that now."

Dinny felt as if cold water was being poured over him as, all at once,
he saw the great proportions of a rhinoceros standing out quite black
against the bright moonlight, the animal being as motionless as if
carved from the rock that lay in great masses around.

"Shure an' it's a big shtone, and nothing else, and--murther, it's
moving, and coming here."

Dinny hardly knew himself how he did it, but in a kind of desperation he
took aim at the rhinoceros, and drew trigger.

The result was a sharp crack, that seemed to echo into distance far
away, and mingled with the echoes there was a furious grunting roar.

For Dinny had hit the rhinoceros. In fact, aiming at it as he did, with
the barrel of his piece upon the large trunk, it would have been almost
impossible to miss. But as he heard the roar Dinny turned and ran,
stumbled, saved himself, and hid behind a tree.

"Murther, but it's awful work," he muttered, as his trembling fingers
placed a second cartridge in the rifle.

Then, all being silent, Dinny stole out, and peering cautiously before
him, crept towards the prostrate tree.

"Shure, I belave I've shot him dead," he muttered, as he peered out into
the open glade; but as he showed his face in the moonlight there was a
furious snort, and Dinny turned and fled; for the rhinoceros charged
right at the white face behind the prostrate tree, thrusting its
monstrous head between the two huge limbs; and then, in spite of its
prodigious strength being unable to get any further, it drew back,
charged again, placed one hoof on the tree--but its efforts were in
vain. Then it wrenched its head back, and retiring a short distance
charged once more, Dinny watching it from behind a tree with blanched
face an