DOWN THE RIVER. 243 



came regularly to water. Paradoxically, we saw 

 very few of them, and enjoyed comparative 

 immunity from their charges. This was due to 

 the fact that their habits and ours swung in 

 different orbits. The rhinoceros, after drinking, 

 took to the hot, dry thorn scrub in the low hills ; 

 and as he drank at night, we rarely encountered 

 him in the river bottoms where we were marching. 

 This was very lucky, for the cover was so dense 

 that a meeting must necessarily be at close 

 quarters. Indeed these large and truculent 

 beasts were rather a help than a hindrance, for 

 we often made use of their wide, clear paths to 

 penetrate some particularly distressing jungle. 

 However, we had several small adventures with 

 them : just enough to keep us alert in rounding 

 corners or approaching bushes and nine-tenths 

 of OUT travel was bushes and corners. The big, 

 flat footsteps, absolutely fresh in the dust, padded 

 methodically ahead of us down the only way 

 until it seemed that we could not fail to plump 

 upon their maker around the next bend. We 

 crept forward foot by foot, every sense alert, 

 finger on trigger. Then after a time the spoor 

 turned off to the right, towards the hills. We 

 straightened our backs and breathed a sigh of 

 relief. This happened over and over again. 



