With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



sighted her a considerable distance from us out on the 

 thorn-desert. 



She was hit by my first shot, but made off I ran 

 after her, however, for some time, and at last brought 

 her down with a second. Immediately we all rushed 

 forward to capture the young one, which was of a fairly 

 large size. We had no luck, however. I myself waited 

 by the body of the old one, on the chance of the young 

 one returning to it. My men, stirred into eagerness by 

 the promise of reward, continued their chase. It was 

 already dusk when they came back to me. Dispirited 

 by our failure we made our way to the carnp. Nothing 

 coulcl be more depressing than the thought that we had 

 got so near our goal only to fail at last, and that we had 

 killed the mother uselessly. Once again a whole day's 

 wearing work had come to nothing. 



Next morning, followed by all my men except the 

 few I left on guard, I returned a second time to the 

 same spot, in the same hope. But now hundreds of 

 vultures and some marabous had flocked thither, drawn 

 by the carcase. So I ordered my men to take out the 

 horns and bring to camp the parts of the flesh that 

 could be eaten. 



With three carriers I made my way on to a deep 

 gorge, where I had noticed some rare birds on the 

 previous evening. Just as we got there out rushed the 

 young rhinoceros, almost from under my feet. Covered 

 as he was by the red mire of the velt, neither I nor 

 my men had distinguished him from his surroundings 

 until that moment. 



256 



