About this time a hunter returned one afternoon in great excitement, and reported that a large rhinoceros had partly mired in a swamp near the settlement. He said the huge animal was able to make but little progress and might be approached quite near without grave danger. This was Longhead's opportunity to try his experiment of coöperation. Fortunately, there were quite a number of the men about that day, and he at once called them together, told them to bring their weapons and accompany him to the swamp. He assumed the leadership of the party, and when they approached the swamp, each was directed to gather a bundle of dry grass, reeds and brush. These he had thrown down as they progressed, to give them footing in the soft ooze, and soon they had a tolerably firm path from the solid ground to a place near the great beast. On their approach the rhinoceros made no further attempt at progress, but he turned his head with its long sharp horn toward his foes and, with loud snorts of rage, seemed to dare them to come nearer. Their ancient fear of this formidable animal made the men hesitate, but under the peremptory orders of Longhead, they ventured forward and threw their javelins into the body of the huge animal. It must be confessed that for some time the attack seemed only to increase his rage, he made vigorous efforts to reach his tormentors and snorted loudly. But while, for the most part, the javelins did not penetrate beyond the thick layer of fat which surrounded the animal's body, a few had reached some of the larger blood-vessels, and when these were broken off or torn out in the desperate struggles of the beast, the blood poured forth in torrents and he soon began to weaken; his snorting was no longer so loud and he would lie down occasionally as if to rest, closing his eyes and breathing loudly but with evident difficulty. During one of these resting spells, Longhead came close to him and thrust his long spear with all his might into the animal's body just back of his shoulder. When it was withdrawn, the blood spouted from the wound and also from the mouth of the beast, and soon its eyes grew dim, its struggles grew less frequent and violent, and finally ceased entirely, for the great rhinoceros was dead. [Illustration: "SOON THEY HAD A TOLERABLY FIRM PATH FROM THE SOLID GROUND TO A PLACE NEAR THE GREAT BEAST."]