390 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



of another of these voracious monsters. Poor old 

 Bill ! it was terribly hard luck. 



When we reached the Umfule again, we found 

 that during our absence our friends had been equally 

 unsuccessful with ourselves in coming across elephants ; 

 so, as it seemed that there were no more of them 

 about, and the rainy season was coming on apace, we 

 resolved to finally break up our camp, and trek slowly 

 out to the Matabele country, taking a road more to 

 the south than that by which we had come in to the 

 hunting veldt. 



Accordingly, on November 5th, we made a move, 

 and trekked about twelve miles to the south-west, 

 all along the bank of a beautifully clear stream, a 

 tributary of the Umfule, On the way I shot a zebra, 

 and an eland bull with a fine even pair of horns 

 2 feet 5 inches in length. That night the rains 

 came down with a vengeance, and we were detained 

 for a week in the same spot by constantly recurring 

 storms. 



One morning Wood and myself, taking advantage 

 of a few hours of clear weather, rode out to look for 

 game, and after shooting a roan antelope bull, were 

 returning home, when, in a small patch of bush, we 

 rode right on to a black rhinoceros, that we at once 

 saluted with two bullets. As the wounded animal 

 galloped off, we saw for the first time that it was 

 followed by a small calf, which could not have been 

 more than a day or two old, for it seemed unable to 

 keep up with its mother, and upon our approach ran 

 under the legs of Wood's horse, who, calling to me 

 to go on and kill the cow, pulled in, in order to 

 secure it. With another bullet I despatched the 

 cow accordingly, and returning to my friend, found 

 him sitting under a shady tree, and the little rhinoceros 



