202 TO LAKE NAIVASHA [ch. ix 



beest galloping by renewed their alarm. It was curious 

 to see them sweeping the ground with their long, ugly 

 heads, endeavouring to catch the scent. A mile's rapid 

 walk brought us within two hundred yards, and we 

 dared not risk the effort for a closer approach lest they 

 should break and run. The cow turned broadside on, 

 and I hit lier behind the shoulder ; but I was not 

 familiar with the heavy Holland rifle at that range, and 

 my bullet went rather too low. I think the wound 

 would eventually have proved fatal ; but both beasts 

 went off at a gallop, the cow now and then turning from 

 side to side in high dudgeon, trying to catch the wind 

 of her foe. We mounted our horses, and after a two- 

 mile canter overhauled our quarry. Cuninghame took 

 me well to leeward, and ahead, of the rhinos, which 

 never saw us ; and then we walked to within a hundred 

 yards, and I killed the cow. But we were now much 

 puzzled by the young one, which refused to leave. We 

 did not wish to kill it, for it was big enough to shift for 

 itself; but it was also big enough to kill either of us. 

 We drew back, hoping it would go away ; but it did 

 not. So when the gun-bearers arrived we advanced 

 and tried to frighten it; but this plan also failed. It 

 threatened to charge, but could not quite make up its 

 mind. Watching my chance, I then creased its stern 

 with a bullet from the little Springfield, and after some 

 wild circular galloping it finally decided to leave. 



Kermit, about this time, killed a heavy boar from 

 horseback after a three-mile run. The boar charged 

 twice, causing the horse to buck and shy. Finally, just 

 as he was going into his burrow backward, Kermit raced 

 by and sliot him, firing his rifle from the saddle after 

 the manner of the old-time Western buffalo runners. 



We now rejoined Mearns and Loring on the banks of 



