rom the river!"

Jack and the explorer leaped to the ground from the wagons as Akram ran
up with the third gun. The Masai had clustered at the edge of the camp,
but as the explorer took in the situation the warriors broke and fled
before a huge dun shape that crashed bushes and trees down before it in
blind rage. Charlie gasped at the size of the beast, for he had not yet
seen a rhino.

"Female," stated the General quietly. "Going to tear things up, too.
Ready, boys?"

By this time the ground was littered with cast-off loads, while the
natives fled in all directions. Fortunately, the zareba and oxen were at
the other end of the camp, and the courageous Gholab ran down to the
horses and loosed them as the rhinoceros charged.

This made the three hunters unable to fire for an instant. Gholab ducked
behind a huge tree, and the infuriated brute crashed full into it,
knocking off a great flake of the bark and wood. Stunned for an instant,
it stood glaring around, and in that instant Schoverling fired.

His bullet took the rhino behind the shoulder, but the beast, rage
darting from its deep-set eyes, whirled in the direction of the wagons.
It was barely fifty yards from them, and as the explorer fired his
second barrel, Charlie pulled trigger also. The tremendous charges
halted and shook the big animal, but for an instant only. Then, rocking
and stumbling, it came on full tilt for the wagons, the wicked-looking
head held low.

One of the Kikuyu porters had started to slip across the open space, and
was caught before he could escape. As the terrified man turned, the head
of the rhino caught him and tossed him a dozen feet into the air. But
that gave Jack and Charlie their chance. As the head went up, they fired
together.

Jack's bullet broke the rhino's off-shoulder; that of Charlie tore into
her throat. Jack fired again, and at this instant Guru handed back
Schoverling's rifle, reloaded; but another bullet was unnecessary. The
huge beast stood for a moment quite still, then swayed and plunged down,
dead.

"Good!" came the calm voice of von Hofe from behind them. "Now led us
see how the man hurd iss."

Only his accent betrayed his excitement as he led the way to the injured
porter. The man had been gored in the side by the horn, but had saved
himself from mortal injury. The doctor dressed his wound and saw him
borne off to the village; meanwhile, the others had gathered about the
dead rhino, the natives with wild s