i62 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



Guaso Nyiro, which flowed to the east of us, so 

 taking my rifle and some ammunition, I went ofl^ 

 by myself to explore in this direction. Abbudi was 

 rather hurt that I would not take him, and protested 

 that it was not safe for the Bwana to go alone. I 

 rode some fifteen miles from camp, and on the way, 

 as if to emphasize Abbudi's warning, I fell in with 

 a vicious old rhino that was standing under the 

 shade of a tree. As I came upon it all unawares 

 it took me entirely by surprise, and had Aladdin 

 not been on the alert and speedy enough to get 

 out of the way of his charge, it would probably 

 have fared badly with us. As it was, I escaped 

 with a torn coat and a few body scratches which I 

 received while plunging wildly through the jungle 

 in my efforts to throw off our pursuer. My only 

 fear was that I might run into another while the 

 mad race lasted. Fortunately, however, this did 

 not happen, though later on I saw two or three 

 more rhino which were avoided by making a 

 circuit at a respectful distance. The bush was 

 alive with hundreds of zebra and Grant's and 

 Thomson's gazelle, with here and there a pig busily 

 grubbing for a succulent root. My ride took me 

 well out of the beaten track, so the animals were 

 not shy or frightened of me, and it was a great 

 pleasure to ride amongst them and observe their 

 ways at close quarters. 



