174 After Big Game in Central Africa 



When finishing our examination we see a group 

 of men in the distance, and find they are from the 

 camp. In spite of the distance, the night has been 

 so silent that they were able to hear the gun-shots, 

 and Bertrand has sent to see what news there is. 

 This reinforcement arrives timeously, and the lion 

 is soon brought to the camp. Two hours afterwards 

 its skin, carefully treated, is stretched on steel pegs 

 in the sun. 1 Its skull is buried so as to get rid 

 of the flesh ; the carcase, after the examination of 

 the stomach, which contained zebra, is taken a 

 long distance from the camp and left to the 

 vultures. 



Two or three fruitless nights follow that which I 

 have just related. One evening the rhinoceros 

 approaches us at the north pool, round which it 

 promenades, and, after having excited us to hope, 

 makes off without drinking. Its suspicions were 

 stronger than its thirst. As it is moonlight, I have 

 a good mind to go in pursuit ; but the prospect of, 

 being charged, even in the soft and poetic light of 

 the moon, makes me renounce the idea, and I let it 

 go. The rhinoceros makes off quietly, now and then 

 sniffing with distrust, as much as to say, " Emphati- 

 cally this place does not please me ! " We have all 

 our night's trouble for nothing. 



Doubtless, it was the morning tracks of our men 

 which this animal had scented. One has to avoid 



1 At the end of this book I give, for the benefit of hunter- 

 naturalists, some indications on the manner of preparing animals' 

 skins and other trophies. 



