THE RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO 497 



the cover was thin, it yet rendered it difficult to see a hun- 

 dred yards in advance. At last we made out the bull, on 

 his feet and feeding, although it was high noon. He was 

 stern toward us, and while we were stealing toward him a 

 puff of wind gave him our scent. At once he whipped 

 around, gazed at us for a moment with out-stretched head, 

 and galloped off. I could not get a shot through the bushes, 

 and after him we ran, Kongoni leading, with me at his heels. 

 It was hot work running, for at this time the thermometer 

 registered 102 in the shade. Fortunately the bull had 

 little fear of man, and being curious, and rather trucu- 

 lent, he halted two or three times to look round. Finally, 

 after we had run a mile and a half, he halted once too often, 

 and I got a shot at him at eighty yards. The heavy bullet 

 went home; I fired twice again as rapidly as possible, 

 and the bull never moved from where he had stood. He 

 was an old bull, as big as an East African buffalo bull; 

 but his worn horns were smaller and rather different. 

 This had rendered Kongoni uncertain whether he might 

 not be a cow; and when we came up to the body he ex- 

 claimed with delight that it was a "duck" Kongoni's 

 invariable method of pronouncing "buck," the term he 

 used to describe anything male, from a lion or an elephant 

 to a bustard or a crocodile; "cow" being his expression for 

 the female of these and all other creatures. As Gouvimali 

 came running up to shake hands, his face wreathed in 

 smiles, he exclaimed "G-o-o-d-e morning"; a phrase which 

 he had picked up under the impression that it was a species 

 of congratulation. 



As always when I have killed buffalo I was struck by 

 the massive bulk of the great bull as he lay in death, and 

 by the evident and tremendous muscular power of his big- 

 boned frame. He looked what he was, a formidable beast. 

 Thirty porters had to be sent out to bring to camp the 

 head, hide, and meat. We found, by the way, that his 

 meat made excellent soup, his kidneys a good stew, while 

 his tongue was delicious. 



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