THE BIG GAME OF AFRICA 



to shoot more rhinos than allowed on my license only to 

 protect our lives, and it being too dark anyway to take 

 careful aim, I stopped, with one of the gun bearers, to 

 stand guard while the caravan passed by on the other side 

 of some bush. The men had been told to walk as quietly 

 as they could. As the porters marched very closely to- 

 gether, it did not take them perhaps more than two minutes 

 to pass the little opening on which the rhinos stood. Dur- 

 ing this time the old female " sniffed " and " puffed " and 

 tossed her head, evidently scenting the men, but unable 

 to make up her mind whether to charge or not, while the 

 youngster continually changed his position from one side 

 of his mother to the other. Finally, as the last man had 

 passed, I retreated carefully, " covering " the mother with 

 my gun, until she was out of sight. The caravan porters 

 seem, as a rule, to have very little personal courage, for 

 twice afterwards, when a rhino charged down on us in 

 front, a great many of the men far behind, and out of 

 immediate danger, threw down their loads and stampeded 

 for the nearest cover like so many frightened cattle ! 



It is of great importance for a successful safari to have 

 an experienced and efficient headman, who understands 

 how to handle his people, for if he does not know how to 

 make himself respected and instantly obeyed, the whole 

 caravan is soon demoralized. The best thing to do then 

 is to " degrade " the headman and select the best askari 

 to take his place. I was once forced to take this measure. 

 It worked very well, indeed, as the askari whom I made 

 headman turned out to be a splendid " captain," and every- 

 thing went on beautifully after the change. 



When a hard day's march is done, and the hunter has 



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