90 RHINO AND GIRAFFES [ch. iv 



through the leaves, it shielded us from the vision of his 

 small piglike eyes as we advanced toward it, stooping 

 and in single file, I leading. The big beast stood like 

 an uncouth statue, his hide black in the sunlight ; he 

 seemed what he was, a monster surviving over from the 

 world's past, from the days when the beasts of the 

 prime ran riot in their strength, before man grew so 

 cunning of brain and hand as to master them. So 

 little did he dream of our presence that when we were a 

 hundred yards off he actually lay down. 



Walking lightly, and with every sense keyed up, we 

 at last reached the bush, and I pushed forward the 

 safety catch of the double-barrelled Holland rifle which 

 I was now to use for the first time on big game. As I 

 stepped to one side of the bush so as to get a clear aim, 

 with Slatter following, the rhino saw me and jumped to 

 his feet with the agility of a polo pony. As he rose I 

 put in the right barrel, the bullet going through both 

 lungs. At the same moment he wheeled, the blood 

 spouting from his nostrils, and galloped full on us. 

 Before he could get quite all the way round in his head- 

 long rush to reach us, I struck him with my left-hand 

 barrel, the bullet entering between the neck and shoulder 

 and piercing his heart. At the same instant Captain 

 Slatter fired, his bullet entering the neck vertebrae. 

 Ploughing up the ground with horn and feet, the great 

 bull rhino, still head toward us, dropped just thirteen 

 paces from where we stood. 



This was a wicked charge, for the rhino meant 

 mischief and came on with the utmost determination. 

 It is not safe to generalize from a few instances. 

 Judging from what I have since seen, I am inclined 

 to believe that both lion and buffalo are more dangerous 

 game than rhino, yet the first two rhinos I met both 



