THE PINJIH RHINO. 39 



of his sole. At last, at four o'clock, as we were 

 thinking of giving up for the day, we came on a path 

 that Malias recognised as one leading to the village 

 of Pinjih. We therefore waited for the other men, 

 and after marking the place, made our way to the 

 village. There we arrived at sunset, and a house 

 was quickly put at our disposal. Then after a 

 swim in the river, rice, grilled chicken, chillies, and 

 salt fish all that the village could offer were ready 

 for us. 



Malias was openly despondent. Had not every 

 one failed in this quest ? And how was it that 

 bullets that would kill an elephant dead on the 

 spot failed even to knock this animal over? The 

 Jin was playing with us: we were safe from his 

 displeasure perhaps, but it did not seem that he had 

 any intention of allowing us to kill the rhinoceros. 

 Though Pa' Senik was more cheerful, his prognos- 

 tications were even worse. The animal, he said, was 

 making for a hill called Changkat Larang, and if it 

 once reached that spot its wounds would immediately 

 be healed. We had left the tracks within three 

 miles of the hill, and our only chance was to come 

 up with it the next day before it reached this hill 

 of healing. Both were so down-hearted that I re- 

 minded them of the portent of the " hot rain," and 

 suggested that the rhinoceros had returned to die 

 by the stream and the village from which he had 

 taken his name for so many years. But without 

 avail. Both shook their heads in doubt, and I went 

 to sleep, to hope for better luck the next day. 



By sunrise the next morning we had finished our 



