dared not leave his retreat for an instant. Whenever he made a
movement, the enemy did the same.

It was a long time before he could think of any plan that would give him
a chance of getting away. One at length occurred to him.

Although unable to reload the rifle with a bullet, the thought came into
his mind, that the borele might be blinded by a heavy charge of powder,
or so confused by it as to give him an opportunity of stealing away.
This seemed an excellent plan, yet so simple that Arend was somewhat
surprised he had not thought of it before.

Without difficulty he succeeded in pouring a double quantity of powder
into the barrel; and, in order to keep it there until he had an
opportunity for a close shot, some dry grass was forced into the muzzle.
The chance soon offered; and, taking a deliberate aim at one of the
borele's eyes with the muzzle of the gun not more than two feet from its
head, he pulled trigger.

With a loud moan of mingled rage and agony, the rhinoceros rushed
towards him, and frantically, but vainly exerted all its strength in an
endeavour to overturn the baobab.

"One more shot at the other eye," thought Arend, "and I shall be free."

He immediately proceeded to pour another dose of powder into the rifle,
but while thus engaged a new danger suddenly presented itself. The dry
grass projected from the gun had ignited and set fire to the dead leaves
that were strewed plentifully over the ground. In an instant these were
ablaze, the flame spreading rapidly on all sides, and moving towards
him.

The trunk of the baobab could no longer afford protection. In another
minute it, too, would be enveloped in the red fire, and to stay by its
side would be to perish in the flames. There was no alternative but to
get to his feet and run for his life.

Not a moment was to be lost, and, slipping from under the tree, he
started off at the top of his speed. The chances were in his favour for
escaping unobserved by the rhinoceros. But fortune seemed decidedly
against him. Before getting twenty paces from the tree, he saw that he
was pursued.

Guided either by one eye or its keen sense of hearing, the monster was
following him at a pace so rapid that, if long enough continued, it must
certainly overtake him.

Once more the young hunter began to feel something like despair. Death
seemed hard upon his heels. A few seconds more, and he might be impaled
on that terrible horn. But for that instinc