72 After Big Game in Central Africa 



men with it, and make ready to return to camp so as 

 to send others. As I am going that way I cross the 

 plain on to which the female rhinoceros charged after . 

 the firing of my two first shots. Fresh marks on the 

 ground show us that it is the female which passed 

 that way, and suddenly a snorting tells us that she 

 has been waiting for an hour for the return of her com- 

 panion. As at one side of us there is an open space 

 seven or eight yards in extent, where the rocky ground 

 has not allowed grass to grow, I run to take up a 

 position there, so as to have, if possible, more room in 

 front of me than during the preceding encounter. I 

 take my 8-bore to please my men, who have just been 

 reproaching me for not having used it, and place my- 

 self in the midst of the grass, motionless, on the side 

 opposite to that on which I have heard the character- 

 istic snorting of the unfortunate female. Here there 

 are no trees in which one can shelter. 



The animal is disquieted, but she has not smelt us. 

 I hear her walking, and then, immediately afterwards, 

 I see her coming towards us, but like an animal which 

 goes about its own business. She is coming out to 

 the right, will cross the open space, and in all prob- 

 ability will enter the grass again on our left. On she 

 comes at a walk, and when seven or eight yards in 

 front of me I fire. My men were persuaded that she 

 would fall down dead on the spot. Msiambiri had 

 even bet Eodzani a pot of moa (the beer of the 

 country) that with the big rifle the rhinoceros would 

 so fall. He loses, for upon receiving my bullet the 

 animal throws herself upon us at full speed, making us 



