IV ON THE YATTA PLATEAU 



47 



distance away, so as we did not wish to shoot it, I 

 proposed that we should go and try to take its 

 photograph. We got fairly close to it, but the 

 grass was so long that it was still impossible to secure 

 a successful snapshot from where we were. It was 

 rather risky for all three of us to approach any 

 nearer, as there was no place of refuge except a 

 single tree which was a little beyond where the 

 rhino was and rather to the left of him. I thought, 

 therefore, that it was better to leave my friends 

 where they were, and go on alone to try and take 

 the picture, as there was less chance of him seeing 

 one than three. I was getting along beautifully 

 when unfortunately, just as I got almost close 

 enough to take a snapshot, the rhino spotted me 

 and promptly charged. I made for the tree for all 

 I was worth, pursued by the angry brute, and 

 luckily reached it in good time. The rhino 

 then stopped in mid career and made off in the 

 opposite direction, so I did not get his photo- 

 graph after all. 



I was more fortunate, however, on another occa- 

 sion, when I made a picture-stalk on a couple of 

 rhino that were grazing in the open, near a solitary 

 tree. I must confess that I approached them with 

 fear and trembling, all the time wondering if they 

 would spot me, and if so, whether I could get to the 

 tree without being caught by one or other of 



