422 RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO [ch. xiy 



country was just such as that in which we had hitherto 

 found our rhinos ; and there was fresh sign of rhino as 

 well as buffalo. The thorny, scantily-leaved trees were 

 perhaps a little closer together than in most places, and 

 there were a good many half-burned patches of tall 

 grass. We passed a couple of ponds which must have 

 been permanent, as water-lilies were growing in them ; 

 at one a buffalo had been drinking. It was half-past 

 twelve when we reached the place where Sururu had 

 seen the bull. We then advanced with the utmost 

 caution, as the wind was shifty, and although the cover 

 was thin, it yet rendered it difficult to see a hundred 

 yards in advance. At last we made out the bull, on 

 his feet and feeding, although it was high noon. He 

 was stern toward us, and while we were stealing toward 

 him a puff of wind gave him our scent. At once he 

 whipped around, gazed at us for a moment with out- 

 stretched head, and galloped off. I could not get a 

 shot through the bushes, and after him we ran, Kongoni 

 leading, with me at his heels. It was hot work running, 

 for at this time the thermometer registered 102° F. in the 

 shade. Fortunately the bull had little fear of man, and 

 being curious, and rather truculent, he halted two or 

 three times to look round. Finally, after we had run a 

 mile and a half, he halted once too often, and I got a 

 shot at him at eighty yards. The heavy bullet went 

 home. I fired twice again as rapidly as possible, and 

 the animal never moved from where he had stood. 

 He was an old bull, as big as an East African buffalo, 

 but his worn horns were smaller and rather different. 

 This had rendered Kongoni uncertain whether he might 

 not be a cow ; and when we came up to the body he 

 exclaimed with delight that it was a " duck " — Kongoni's 

 invariable method of pronouncing " buck," the term he 



