406 RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO [ch. xiv 



while, Kermit and I, with our gun-bearers, went off with 

 a " shenzi," a wild native who had just come in with the 

 news that he knew where another rhino was lynig, a 

 few miles away. While bound thither, we passed 

 numbers of oribi, and went close to a herd of water- 

 buck, which stared at us with stupid tameness ; a single 

 hartebeest was with them. When we reached the spot 

 there was the rhino, sure enough, under a little tree, 

 sleeping on his belly, his legs doubled up, and his head 

 flat on the ground. Unfortunately, the grass was long, 

 so that it was almost impossible to photograph him. 

 However, Kermit tried to get his picture from an 

 ant-hill fifty yards distant, and then, he with his camera 

 and I with my rifle, walked up to within about twenty 

 yards. At this point we halted, and on the instant the 

 rhino jumped to his feet with surprising agility, and 

 trotted a few yards out from under the tree. It was a 

 huge bull, with a fair horn ; much the biggest bull we 

 had yet seen ; and with head up and action high, the 

 sun glinting on his slate hide and bringing out his 

 enormous bulk, he was indeed a fine sight. I waited a 

 moment for Kermit to snap him. Unfortunately the 

 waving grass spoiled the picture. Then I fired right 

 and left into his body, behind the shoulders, and down 

 he went. In colour he seemed of exactly the same 

 shade as the common rhino, but he was taller and 

 heavier, being six feet high. He carried a stout horn, 

 a little over two feet long ; the girth at the base was 

 very great. 



Leaving the gun-bearers (with all our water) to skin 

 the mighty beast, Kermit and I started for camp ; and 

 as we were rather late Kermit struck out at a great 

 pace in front, while I followed on the little ambling 

 mule. On our way in we passed the elephants, still 



