s time the impetus sent him
over the edge of a gully and we did not doubt he was dead at the bottom
of it.

The guard stopped the train and came running to see what the damage
amounted to.

"Any gent got his rifle handy?" he shouted. "The train's ahead o'
time. There's twenty minutes for sport!"

We dived for our rifles, but Coutlass had his and was on the track
ahead of us, his eye a ghastly sight from the guard's overnight
attentions, his face the gruesome color of the man who has eaten and
drunk too much, but his undamaged eye ablaze, and nothing whatever the
matter with his enthusiasm.

"Give me a cartridge--a cartridge, somebody!" he yelled. "Gassharamminy!
He's not dead! I saw him kick as he went over the edge legs upwards!
Give me one cartridge and I'll finish him!"

By that time every male passenger was out on the track, some in
night-shirts, some in shirts and pants, some with next-to-nothing at
all on, but nearly all with guns. Somebody gave Coutlass a handful of
cartridges that fitted his Mauser rifle and he was off in the lead like
a hero leading a forlorn hope, we after him. We searched high and low
but lost all trace of the rhino, and at the end of half an hour the
engine's whistle called us back. There were blood and hair all over
the engine--blood and hair on our car, but the rhino had been as
determined in defeat as in attack, and if he died of his wounds he
contrived to do it alone and in dignity.

"That leaves Coutlass with six cartridges," said I, overtaking Fred.
"Let's hope their owner asks for them back."

The owner did ask for them. He stood with his hand out by the door of
the Greek's compartment.

"You didn't use those cartridges," he said.

"But I will!" sneered Coutlass. "Out of my way!"

He sprang for his door and slammed it in the man's face, and the other
Greek and the Goanese jeered through the window. I caught sight of
Hassan beside them looking gray, as unhappy black men usually do. Will
saw him too.

"The cannibal's ours," he said, "supposing we want him and play our
cards kind o' careful."

The next thing to delay the train was an elephant, who walked the track
ahead of us and when the engine whistled only put on speed. Hypnotized
by the tracks that reached in parallel lines to the horizon, with trunk
outstretched, ears up, and silly tail held horizontally he set himself
the impossible task of leaving us behind. The more we cheered, the
more the engine scr