CHAP. ii. RHINOCEROS. 81 



in it much less suspicious, suggesting that meanwhile we 

 should make sure that it had not left this jungle, and 

 that they should walk round on one side while I examined 

 the other, and this being decided upon, we separated. 



I had not gone very far when I came across a track, 

 which a few seconds' examination proved was that of the 

 identical animal, which, after leaving a maze of spoor that 

 would take hours for us to unravel, had taken itself straight 

 off to another cover, to which I at once followed it, only 

 to find that after standing about in several places it had 

 left it also, and gone on. No doubt the pain it was in 

 rendered it restless, and as in the direction it now took 

 there were only a few scattered bushes for some miles, I 

 thought that the chase seemed likely to be a long one. 

 On reaching the first clump, however, I found that it had 

 stood there also for some time, and had wandered about 

 round it, probably with the intention of lying down ; 

 though it occurred to me that its taking to the flat might 

 be only a stratagem, the better to enable it to see any 

 one approaching, and that I ought to be careful in going 

 near similar places. 



It was indeed lucky that the thought had entered my 

 mind ; otherwise it is more than probable that I should 

 have walked heedlessly on, never dreaming of any danger 

 in the open, until I had placed myself within its reach ; 

 for, as I got near the very next clump, it struck me that 

 the shadow was unnaturally deep in one spot, and there 

 being no tree of any size closer in I sat down by the one 

 by which I was, and, after watching the suspicious place 

 for some minutes, I determined to try the effect of a shot, 

 as, even if I was mistaken, it would serve to guide the 



F 



