352 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



only to his knees, and in an instant after was on his pins, 

 and as active and pugnacious as ever. 



Eeloading my discharged barrel, I tried if the left 

 would be more successful, but not a bit of it. The 

 quarry got it almost in the centre of the forehead, the 

 result of which was not at all satisfactory, for it provoked 

 the most wicked charge that I had yet sustained. 



Coming to the conclusion that I was fooling away 

 my time and ammunition, and putting the plucky beast 

 to unnecessary pain, I selected the knee, for I could not 

 prevent the animal facing me, and at the first fire 

 brought it down, finishing the business by placing a 

 second bullet between the root of the ear and the eye. 



William, my Bechuana guide, also killed a very large 

 tusker ; in fact, the best that fell that day. By three I 

 was back in camp, and the people sent off to bring in 

 the ivory and meat. 



A little before sunset the guide, against my wishes, 

 shot a rhinoceros. It was within sight of the wagon for 

 upwards of an hour, and I was having a most careful 

 survey of its manner through my field-glass, when he 

 discovered it, and in spite of all I could say, go he would. 

 We had such a quantity of meat already that it was 

 really committing a positive sin to take any more animal 

 life, so I was very nearly having a row with the fellow to 

 enforce my orders. However, I thought it was better 

 to avoid a disturbance with so valuable a servant. His 

 disobedience, nevertheless, very nearly cost him dear, for 

 at the first shot he only wounded the beast, which 

 charged at the smoke, winded him, and coursed him in 

 grand style over the velt. At length he managed to 

 dodge, and while the vicious beast was poking about the 

 bushes looking for its late foe, the guide put in a second 



