With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



herself up with her young one. The water dark, loamy, 

 evil-smelling though it be revives us also. And now 

 we are able to take our bearings, and we realise that the 

 rhinoceros must have made a wide circuit and doubled 

 back towards the camp. The finding of this water enables 

 me to keep up the pursuit until nightfall. There is not 

 much joy in the prospect of a night out on the velt with 

 so many rhinoceroses roaming- about. 



At last, in a small clump of acacias I spot the 

 motionless form of the old cow straight in front of me, 

 and before she can stir from where she stands a bullet 

 in the ear brings her dying to the ground. The young 

 one gives out a piercing cry, comes some paces towards 

 me, then takes to flight. The old animal now rolls about 

 in her death-agony. I give her two more shots, calling 

 out at the same time to my men to throw themselves upon 

 the young one. 



The young one, however, takes the initiative and 

 makes straight for us with a snort. Next moment my 

 arms are round him and he and I are rolling together 

 on the ground, and my men, each of whom is provided 

 with a rope, have made fast his legs. At first he follows 

 me willingly as I hold out a piece of his mother's skin in 

 front of him, but by-and-by he begins to squeak and 

 refuses to move. I decide quickly to leave four men with 

 him and send post-haste to the camp for others. Late in 

 the evening he is brought in triumph to the camp. 



Xow begin the most serious difficulties of my under- 

 taking. For one thing I must get hold of a number of 

 cows. However, he gets used to a goat, and I myself see 



250 



