“Yes,” said his father. “You boys must be on the look out for the honey-guide.”
“Why, we saw one, father,” cried Jack.
“Yes, and the rhinoceros drove it out of our head,” said Dick, “and—”
“Why, what’s the matter?” cried Mr Rogers. “Rifles, boys!”
They were just engaged in moving a big chest, and had the greater part of the waggon’s contents piled up on one side, that nearest the kraal of growing and piled up thorns, when there was a loud yelping of the dogs, a peculiar grunting snort, a tremendous crash, and the dissel-boom was driven on one side, and the fore part of the waggon itself actually lifted and nearly overturned.
There was a tremendous crash, and splinters flew as it was struck; and another crash as it came down upon the earth again, one wheel having been lifted quite a couple of feet.
Then, as Jack held on by the great laths of the waggon cover, and looked over the chests, he saw the shoulders of a great rhinoceros, as it wrenched its horn out of the woodwork that it had driven it through; then it whisked round, and charged straight at the fire, rushing through it, trampling the embers, and tossing the burning sticks in all directions.
“Murther! master, help! Here’s a big thief of a— Murth—”
Dinny did not finish his sentence, for, seeing him standing there shouting as his cooking-place was “torn all to smithereens,” as he afterwards expressed it, the rhinoceros dashed at him, and with one lift of his horn sent poor Dinny flying into the thorny hedge of the cattle-kraal.