HUNTING IN THE SOTIK 177 



At last a day came when I saw a rhino with a big body 

 and a good horn. We had been riding for a couple of hours; 

 the game was all around us. Two giraffes stared at us 

 with silly curiosity rather than alarm; twice I was within 

 range of the bigger one. At last Bakhari, the gun-bearer, 

 pointed to a gray mass on the plain, and a glance through 

 the glasses showed that it was a rhino lying asleep with his 

 legs doubled under him. He proved to be a big bull, with 

 a front horn nearly twenty-six inches long. I was anxious 

 to try the sharp-pointed bullets of the little Springfield 

 rifle on him; and Cuninghame and I, treading cautiously, 

 walked up wind straight toward him, our horses following 

 a hundred yards behind. He was waked by the tick-birds, 

 and twisted his head to and fro, but at first did not seem to 

 hear us, although looking in our direction. When we were 

 a hundred yards off he rose and faced us, huge and threat- 

 ening, head up and tail erect. But he lacked heart after 

 all. I fired into his throat, and instead of charging, he 

 whipped round and was off at a gallop, immediately dis- 

 appearing over a slight rise. We ran back to our horses, 

 mounted, and galloped after him. He had a long start, and, 

 though evidently feeling his wound, was going strong; and 

 it was some time before we overtook him. I tried to gal- 

 lop alongside, but he kept swerving; so jumping off (fort- 

 unately, I was riding Tranquillity) I emptied the maga- 

 zine at his quarters and flank. Rapid galloping does not 

 tend to promote accuracy of aim; the rhino went on; and, 

 remounting, I followed, overtook him, and repeated the 

 performance. This time he wheeled and faced round, evi- 

 dently with the intention of charging, but a bullet straight in 

 his chest took all the fight out of him, and he continued 





