102 LARGE GAME. CHAP. n. 



creeper which, twining round the thorn-trees, formed a 

 number of vegetable caves, so regular in their formation 

 that, at first sight, it appeared to be impossible that it 

 could be the work of nature, and that they must have 

 been trained by the hand of man. 



I had once before been there in pursuit of a herd of 

 buffaloes, which we found lying in them, and at the time 

 I had noticed that there were a great many rhinoceros 

 spoors, both old and new, and several places in which they 

 were evidently accustomed to lie, and as the direction this 

 one was taking would bring it there in half an hour, I 

 had no doubt but that it belonged to that spot, as they 

 wander so far during the night in search of food, and was 

 now, sick and wounded, trying to return there, perhaps 

 expecting to meet its mate. As I proceeded I found that 

 my conjecture was correct, and I also noticed several fresh 

 spoors, and other signs that led me to believe that there 

 were more rhinoceros in the neighbourhood, all by the 

 smallness of their track belonging to the same species. 

 On reaching the outskirts of the creeper-covered bushes I 

 had to be very careful ; indeed, the thought more than 

 once crossed my mind of going back to camp and getting 

 help before I prosecuted my search, and if it had not been 

 so far I should probably have done so, as not only would 

 the wounded one charge the moment it heard or saw me, 

 but as there seemed to be so many about I ran the risk 

 of being caught by one whose existence I knew nothing 

 of, while intent upon following the other, and, added to 

 this, I saw the fresh footprints of a lion, which might 

 possibly be after my wounded rhinoceros, although I have 

 noticed that it is generally rare to go far into the haunts 



