With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



lopes appears in blurred outline against the dark background 

 of the sedge-thicket. They seem to be waterbiick, coming 

 from their hiding-places on to the open level for food, 

 and they soon disappear in the background. I begin 

 to experience a certain fatigue, but I struggle against 

 it. Nor do I permit any sleep to my companion ; the 

 inevitable snoring of the negro (for that matter, even too 

 heavy breathing) might be audible to sharp ears. 



Another hour has passed. Suddenly I perceive on my 

 right, not far from me, a large dark object which I had not 

 noticed before, and which is lightly and noiselessly 

 approaching my ambush and the watering-place. Without 

 a halt the dark, mighty mass comes nearer and still nearer. 

 Now I can plainly see that there are two objects, one 

 in front of the other. They stand opposite me, not 

 more than one hundred and fifty paces ofl. They are 

 rhinoceroses, full-grown ones, coming here to drink. 

 How inwmtic thev look bv moonlight ! An old childish 



O O s j O 



memory suddenly comes back to me : how my father's 

 keeper, when he missed some sitting hares, apologised 

 by saying that he always saw them too big! as big 

 as camels ! 



Moving along obliquely to the water, they have now 

 come to a spot at most a hundred paces away, and stop 

 still once more, listening then they go up to the brink, 

 instantly to vanish in the sedge; and the marsh-vegetation. 

 For a while I can hear them splashing about ; then there 

 is no further sound. It is not surprising to me, but to the 

 new-comer it would be astounding, to observe the perfect 

 silence in which these mighty pachyderms contrive to 



632 



