480 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



little trees near by or waddled about on the ground near 

 the cook fires. Numerous vultures, many marabou storks, 

 and a single fish eagle, came to the carcasses set for them 

 outside the camp by Loring; and he took pictures of them. 

 The handsome fish eagle looked altogether out of place 

 among the foul carrion-feeding throng; on the ground the 

 vultures made way for him respectfully enough, but they 

 resented his presence, and now and then two or three 

 would unite to mob him while on the wing. 



We wished for another cow rhino, so as to have a bull 

 and a cow both for the National Museum at Washington, 

 and for the American Museum in New York; and Kermit 

 was to shoot this. Accordingly he and I started off early 

 one morning with Grogan a man of about twenty-five, 

 a good hunter and a capital fellow, with whom by this 

 time we were great friends. It was much like our other 

 hunts. W T e tramped through high grass across a big, 

 swampy plain or broad valley between low rises of ground, 

 until, on the opposite side, we struck a by-this-time familiar 

 landmark, two tall royal palms, the only ones for some 

 miles around. Here we turned into a broad elephant and 

 rhinoceros path, worn deep and smooth by the genera- 

 tions of huge feet that had tramped it; for it led from the 

 dry inland to a favorite drinking-place on the Nile. Along 

 this we walked until Kassitura made out the trail of two 

 rhino crossing it at right angles. They were evidently 

 feeding and seeking a noonday resting-place; in this coun- 

 try the square-mouthed rhinoceros live on the grassy flats, 

 sparsely covered with small thorn-trees, and only go into 

 the high reeds on their way to drink. With Kassitura and 

 Kongoni in the lead we followed the fresh trail for a mile 

 or so, until we saw our quarry. The stupid beasts had 

 smelt us, but were trotting to and fro in a state of inde- 

 cision and excitement, tails twisting and ears cocked, 

 uncertain what to do. At first we thought they were a bull 

 and a small cow; but they proved to be a big cow with 

 good horns, and a calf which was nearly full grown. The 



