ength completed, and, with a feeling
of terrible anxiety, I gave my horse the signal to move forward. Instead
of going off with a start, the intelligent animal stepped away slowly,
as though he understood my situation. The lariat tightened, I felt my
body moving, and the next moment experienced a wild delight, a feeling I
can not describe, as I found myself dragged out of the sand. I sprang to
my feet with a shout of joy. I rushed up to my steed, and, throwing my
arms around his neck, kissed him with as much delight as I would have
kissed a beautiful girl. He answered my embrace with a low whimper, that
told me that I was understood.

I looked for my rifle. Fortunately, it had not sunk deeply, and I soon
found it. My boots were behind me, but I staid not to look for them,
being smitten with a wholesome dread of the place where I had left them.
I was not long in retreating from the arroyo; and, mounting, I galloped
back to the trail. It was sundown before I reached the camp, where I was
met by the inquiries of my companions. I answered all their questions by
relating my adventures, and, for that night, I was again the hero of the
camp-fire.

CHASED BY A RHINOCEROS.

On the 22d, says Mr. Cumming, ordering my men to move on toward a
fountain in the center of the plain, I rode forth with Ruyter, and held
east through a grove of lofty and wide-spreading mimosas, most of which
were more or less damaged by the gigantic strength of a troop of
elephants, which had passed there about twelve months before. Having
proceeded about two miles with large herds of game on every side, I
observed a crusty-looking, old bull borele, or black rhinoceros, cocking
his ears one hundred yards in advance. He had not observed us; and soon
after he walked slowly toward us, and stood broadside to, eating some
wait-a-bit thorns within fifty yards of me. I fired from my saddle, and
sent a bullet in behind his shoulder, upon which he rushed forward about
one hundred yards in tremendous consternation, blowing like a grampus,
and then stood looking about him. Presently he made off. I followed but
found it hard to come up with him. When I overtook him I saw the blood
running freely from his wound.

[Illustration: ESCAPE FROM THE RHINOCEROS]

The chase led through a large herd of blue wildebeests, zebras, and
springboks, which gazed at us in utter amazement. At length I fired my
second barrel, but my horse was fidgety, and I missed. I continued
r