134 THE TROTTING RHINO 



broadside; or, if coming on, the chest, all sure to 

 stop if well placed. The reason the rhino is so 

 formidable is because its vulnerable spots are so 

 hard to reach. Its brain is as small in propor- 

 tion as that of the elephant, and may be reached 

 through the eye if head on, or about three inches 

 below and just in front or just behind the base of 

 the ear, according to your position for a side shot. 

 Now a charging rhino presents only the eye as the 

 vulnerable point, and to put a bullet into the small 

 eye of a rhino is pretty fine shooting; but that is 

 the only fatal shot to be had from the front : and 

 if you miss, your only recourse is quick dodging 

 to one side as the rhino reaches you, and drop- 

 ping it with a shot at the base of the ear or back 

 of the shoulder. In the smooth-skinned rhino the 

 shoulder shot is a possibility, but to strike the 

 shoulder blade you must aim from six to eight 

 inches to one foot below the highest middle point 

 of the hump, the danger being in getting too low 

 and striking the massive bones of the upper fore- 

 arm. The junction of a cross line drawn from 

 the ear to another line at right angles running 

 down from the highest part of hump is the place 

 to put your bullet. It is no mark for light rifles. 

 Directly back of the shoulder is another alterna- 

 tive; but with the Indian you must shoot for the 

 fold, which again is fine shooting, and in all of 



