A FIGHT— RHINOCEROS 



small hills known to both guides, while I entered the 

 jungle on foot in search of buffalo or rhinoceros. I 

 had not gone very far when I saw two gazelle fighting ; 

 they would run and butt each other, and then with 

 horns interlocked would push their hardest in strenuous 

 endeavour to overthrow their adversary. So pre- 

 occupied were they that they allowed me to approach 

 within 30 yards, when, having apparently heard me, 

 they broke apart, turned round and stared fixedly in 

 my direction. As I needed meat, I seized the oppor- 

 tunity and fired, killing the larger of the two. All the 

 meat was sent back to the camels, which were not far 

 off, while I went northwards into the bush, which had 

 now become extremely dense. 



In all directions it was crossed by buffalo and 

 rhinoceros paths, but there was little fresh spoor of the 

 latter and none of the former. The guide led the way 

 with his bow and arrow in readiness, while I followed, 

 holding my '450 Express rifle. The grass met high 

 over our heads, forming, as it were, a tunnel, and 

 down this we crept along the game trail which twisted 

 and turned as it approached the river. At length the 

 grass gave place to dense bush and acacia trees, and 

 at the bottom of a bank we came upon a small and 

 shallow pool where some rhinoceros had just been 

 wallowing. For on the trees that surrounded it fresh 

 mud was still clinging where they had rubbed them- 

 selves after their bath. On the plains or in open, park- 

 like country, rhinoceros are neither very dangerous nor 

 difficult to bag, but in the bush he becomes a truly 

 formidable antagonist, for it is almost impossible to 

 detect him when he is lying down. Then circum- 

 stances are much more in his favour, for, owine to his 

 acute senses of hearing and of smell, he has every 



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