A RIDE THROUGH RHINO COUNTRY = 323 
buffalo, too, have a penetrating odour. But I have never 
been able to detect a rhino in this way, though I have 
often stood for several minutes within a few yards of them. 
Bulky as he is, on a plain studded with ant hills, it is 
very hard to pick him out, since his brown bulk is just 
like an ant hill. If he is taking his siesta, it is under the 
deep shadow of a tree, and in the glow of sunlight you 
may pass quite near him and see nothing. Whereas if 
he is where he loves above all to be: in dense thorn or 
cactus scrub, he is absolutely invisible till you are within 
a few yards or even feet. It is surprising how often you 
find yourself unexpectedly quite close to rhino. 
I had stalked up to so many during my previous ten 
months’ hunting, and had so unvaryingly found them 
retreat that I began to think there was no such thing as a 
really vicious member of the family left. I was destined, 
however, to be abundantly convinced that on occasion 
they are extremely dangerous. I was trailing a buffalo 
bull on the Guasi Nyiro of the north quite near the little 
canon I have tried to describe. It was an excellent game 
country. Oryx abounded, there were several small bands 
of buffalo and rhino were far too numerous to be pleasant. 
Cactus and thorn scrub covered densely the steep rocky 
hills rising sharply from the beautiful river and glades, 
green and partly open, ran between their bases. The fresh 
spoor we were following led us for a mile or more up and 
down this woody country, and then turned up one of the 
steepest hill sides, where the brush was quite impenetrable. 
I and my gunbearers had crawled silently as we could 
some two hundred yards into the tearing, cutting jungle 
and I was on the point of saying we had best go out, as 
in such a place nothing could be done, when through the 
black wall of herbage to our right came the sharp whistling 
snort of a rhino. We stood stock still, and I fortunately 
was able to stand upright just there, and clear very quietly 
