200 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 



the headman to me. Until late, we three sat on the 

 veranda of my house, talking about the rhinoceros 

 hunt and the chances of encountering a seladang. 

 At last the headman said that he would think about 

 the matter and give me his answer the next day. 



I spent the morning with the Sultan, who was 

 still laughing about the water-chain at the fire, and 

 I returned to my house early in the afternoon. The 

 headman and AH were waiting for me. It was 

 decided without further delay that we should go 

 to Rawang to capture the rhinoceros. 



The natives at the headman's kampong were not 

 over-anxious to take part in the hunt, and we spent 

 several days there, waiting for them to make up 

 their minds. It was useless to urge them, and to 

 force them, as I had the power to do, would have 

 been out of the question. It was a matter of wait- 

 ing and working up their 'enthusiasm. Ali talked 

 with them, cleaning my rifle and telling them about 

 the "magic" I had performed. Then, after they 

 showed signs of being properly impressed, I took 

 my gun and began shooting explosive bullets into 

 the trunks of trees. They stood about, wide-eyed, 

 watching the bullets tear great holes in the trees. 

 One evening, two days after our arrival at the 

 kampong, the headman cam^ with the word that 

 his men had decided that they would like to go 

 rhinoceros-hunting with me. "But I can take only 

 ten," I replied. "I want you to come and I will let 

 you select nine others your best men." Now that 



