THE RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO 475 



ing and curling their trunks. One dropped behind and 

 looked fixedly in our direction, probably having heard us 

 talking; then with head aloft and tail stiffly erect it has- 

 tened after the others, presenting an absurd likeness to a 

 baboon. The four calves played friskily about, especially 

 a very comical little pink fellow which accompanied the 

 leading cow. Meanwhile a few of the white herons rode on 

 their backs, but most of the flock stalked sedately along- 

 side through the burnt grass, catching the grasshoppers 

 which were disturbed by the great feet. When, however, 

 the herd reached the tall grass all the herons flew up and 

 perched on the backs and heads of their friends; even 

 the pink calf carried one. Half a mile inside the edge of 

 the tall grass the elephants stopped for the day beside a 

 clump of bushes; and there they stood, the white birds 

 clustered on their dark bodies. At the time we could dis- 

 tinctly hear the Doctor's shot-gun, as he collected birds 

 near camp; the reports did not disturb the elephants, and 

 when we walked on we left them standing unconcernedly 

 in the grass. 



A couple of hours later, as we followed an elephant 

 path, we came to where it was crossed by the spoor of two 

 rhino. Our gun-bearers took up the trail, over the burnt 

 ground, while Kermit and I followed immediately behind 

 them. The trail wound about, and was not always easy 

 to disentangle, but after a mile or two we saw the beasts. 

 They were standing among bushes and patches of rank, 

 unburned grass; it was just ten o'clock, and they were 

 evidently preparing to lie down for the day. As they stood 

 they kept twitching their big ears; both rhino and ele- 

 phant are perpetually annoyed, as are most game, by biting 

 flies, large and small. We got up very close, Kermit with 

 his camera and I with the heavy rifle. Too little is known 

 of these northern square-mouthed rhino for us to be sure 

 that they are not lingering slowly toward extinction; and, 

 lest this should be the case, we were not willing to kill any 

 merely for trophies; while, on the other hand, we deemed it 



