HUNTING IN THE SOTIK 173 



well, and not splitting into fragments, but seeming to cause 

 a rending shock. 



I met with much more difficulty in trying to kill the 

 young one I needed. I walked and trotted a mile after the 

 herd. The old ones showed little alarm, standing again 

 and again to look at me. Finally I shot one of the two young 

 ones, at four hundred and ten long paces, while a cow stood 

 much nearer, and the bull only three hundred yards off. 

 But this was not all. The four survivors did not leave even 

 after such an experience, but stayed in the plain, not far 

 off, for several hours, and thereby gave Kermit a chance 

 to do something much better worth while than shooting 

 them. His shoulder was sore, and he did not wish to use a 

 rifle, and so was devoting himself to his camera, which 

 one of his men always carried. With this, after the exercise 

 of much patience, he finally managed to take a number of 

 pictures of the giraffe, getting within fifty yards of the bull. 



Nor were the giraffe the only animals that showed a 

 tameness bordering on stupidity. Soon afterward we made 

 out three rhino, a mile away. They were out in the bare 

 plain, alternately grazing and enjoying a noontide rest; 

 the bull by himself, the cow with her calf a quarter of a 

 mile off. There was not a scrap of cover, but we walked 

 up wind to within a hundred and fifty yards of the bull. 

 Even then he did not seem to see us, but the tick-birds, 

 which were clinging to his back and sides, gave the alarm, 

 and he trotted to and fro, uncertain as to the cause of the 

 disturbance. If Heller had not had his hands full with the 

 giraffes I might have shot the bull rhino; but his horn 

 and bulk of body, though fair, were not remarkable, and I 

 did not molest him. He went toward the cow. which left 



