The Rhinoceros Hunt part 4/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 4/4

It was then half past  five. A bamboo  trumpet sounded. Like a startled  daydreamer,  the male rhino roared,  then dashed to the west.  Ignoring  the shouts  of the people,  it  ran on, plunging  into the crowd. Then the rhino bellowed again, calling for its child and wife. The  three  ran  in a line,  the child in the middle,  and they escaped  through  a gap  in the crowd.

The people were stunned. Many of  them fell in their haste to run away. I lost my head too. I ran and climbed  one of the  tall  trees, then hung on tightly and closed my eyes. The rhinos  seemed  to be right below me, heaving deep breaths. I felt dizzy, lost my grip on  the tree and  fell on  the rhino's back, it seemed.

I had  fallen on Lahiam, who had been crawling  around at the  foot of the tree. It had been Lahiam panting  a while ago, not  the rhino. Lahiam winced and complained  that his back hurt.

The others had been just as frightened  as I had. Lahiam had been unable  to stand up. I heard  there were  even some who couldn't  help peeing  in their pants. It was the hunters who ran the fastest and were  the first to climb trees. There was a dignitary  from the town who was said  to be brave. But when he saw  the  rhinos approaching, he quickly flung his rifle away and climbed the nearest tall  tree.

"The  rifle, sir, the rifle!!" people yelled  to him. And what was his reply? "You can  take  the rifle and use your eyes for bullets  !"

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 3/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 3/4

Early  in the morning of the third day people came  from a nearby  plantation and  reported that some  rhinos had come into their village  the night before. Trackers  were sent to have a look and  they came back saying  the animals had gone from the village  into the forest near our ambush.

Beaters  surrounded this part of the  forest, and  trackers kept on the move  to make sure the animals had not slipped out of the forest. Everyone  felt sure that the rhinos were inside the circle of beaters.  The hunters who had picked the ambush  spot were highly praised for having  chosen so well.

Everyone  waited  anxiously.

Fires were lit on the south and east sides of the  forest.

There was a strong wind and the fire blazed high, sending smoke  up  into the sky. To the west  there was shouting, and the drums kept beating  loudly.  The  fire spread quickly,  its flames  licking out  in all directions,  thundering and  roaring and blackening  the sky. When  the fire from the east joined that  from  the south,  the smoke  billowed  still higher. The circle of beaters kept growing smaller, and presently the sound of  loud  rifle are was heard over  the shouting and  the drums.

It was  terribly  frightening: sitting on a branch with your heart thumping, trying  to keep as still as possible.  I got down and  joined  the shouting crowd.

We could hear the  rhinos coming from the burning  forest.

A crowd of people  came  shouting  toward  the dry field, overgrown with weeds and small trees. There were only a few tall  trees.  The rhinos suddenly  appeared  from the cast, looking like huge, rolling boulders.

People were  shouting:  "Rhino ! Rhino  !" The drums grew louder.

The rhinos kept on walking  to the west. There were  three of  them: a male, a female,  and one offspring. When  they saw people surrounding  them,  they turned back  toward  the east and stopped again when they  reached  the edge of  the forest. They seemed to be afraid of the  fire, and the smoke was suffocating;  so they  turned back  to the west but were blocked by  the people.  In the end,  looking bewildered,  the rhinos stood  in the middle of  the dry field. There was no doubt that the biggest one was a male. It  bellowed,  its mouth wide open. God ! I can still  remember  the terrible redness of its mouth and  its dreadful teeth.

The dignitaries  shouted orders,  telling  the people  to move closer. Flames and smoke billowed in a tall black wall. The weeds were burnt to a crisp. The rhinos were already  troubled, sensing that they were  in danger. The only way out was to the north. But strangely  they did not want  to run that way. It was as if they had sensed  our presence.  They .seemed  to be  thinking,  gazing  toward the southwest  horizon.

...Continue..... Read

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The Rhinoceros Hunt part 2/4

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Within  three days the viceroy and other high officials of the district came for a rhino hunt. Our master summoned the headmen of the surrounding villages,  together with many hunters and trackers and porters, as an escort  for the dignitaries.

After everyone had gathered  together at dawn, we set out for  the forest, The officials were on horseback  and  the village people followed behind, carrying  spears and knives and bamboo drums. Porters  carried  food  in bags and baskets made of bark and string; otherwise,  they were unarmed except for their machetes.

Now, hunting  rhinos is quite different from hunting other animals. You have  to set up a base of operations  in the forest and bring enough food  for  three or four days. So we brought along many bags of rice and pots to cook it in, besides  the rice  that was already  prepared.

"And what was your  load?" I asked.

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 1/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 1/4

Editors' Note. This story was originally written in Sundanese,  the language of western Java,  in 1932. Most of the people  there are Muslims and  observe  the fast of Ranadan,  the month  during which  no one eats or smokes between  sunrise and sunset  each day. The rhinoceroses of this story  are a rare  species with a single  horn, found only  in Java. The breed  is now in danger of extinction  and  is being protected by the government.

That morning I woke up late. It was  just after eight, and the day was already getting hot. I was very hungry,  but even after I'd had a bath  there was still no sign of anyone with my breakfast. Curious,  I went out into  the garden and walked around the house  to look  in the kitchen windows. There wasn't even  the smell of cooking. Wondering what was the matter,  I lit a cigarette.

Just then Momo and Datje came  into  the garden. Seeing me, they stopped and Momo  said,  as though surprised:  "Why are you smoking?"

Best Short Stories Begin From The Heart

Best Short Stories Begin From The Heart

By Mark Dwayne Jones

Just as the heart is the life-giving organ of our body, so does the inner-most personal experiences becomes the life-giving inspiration for a great short story. Tucked away neatly inside everyone are one's innermost thoughts and feelings. It is the truths deep within us that give us the inspiration and initiative to act upon and produce our best works.

The reason this thought is so powerful is simply how it relates to the reader. Whether it is on paper, audio machine, or eBook on the proper digital device, the Short Story suddenly becomes something the reader can relate to.

The Best Short Stories become more effective if they come from the writer's life experiences. The audience can identify with the situation and many times suddenly realize that they too have had such an experience. A similar emotion swells up inside the reader and 'fuels their fire', so to speak, with a similar outcome as the writer had usually.