At the Small South Pool 175 



walking round a pool where a rhinoceros is awaited : 

 its sense of smell is keen. So it was that my " infor- 

 mation brigade " had orders to arrive in single file and 

 to enter the water, making a circuit of the pool, and 

 examining the edge with their feet in mud the whole 

 time. They came out at the same point they had 

 entered and followed the same path by which they 

 had come, so as to leave only one trace of their 

 passage. 



One evening we took up our position at the small 

 south lake, which is very long and narrow. To be 

 within equal distance of all parts of it, we had to 

 place ourselves in the middle of one of the long sides, 

 profiting by an ant-hill which was there. This 

 position presented the serious disadvantage of allow- 

 ing us to be scented by everything which would 

 come to our left. To possess a means of retreat in 

 case of a charge, we made steps at the foot of the 

 ant-hill so as to get down easily to the water, because 

 the edge of this side of the pool, which it overhangs 

 by nearly two yards, was perpendicular. Facing us, 

 on the other side, a gentle sloping bank led to a 

 plain devoid of obstacles, with the exception of 

 a few clumps of bushes scattered here and there. 

 In case of danger we had to let ourselves down into 

 the water, cross it, and make off over the plain, in 

 front of which, at a distance of 150 yards, was a 

 large tree in the low branches of which we could take 

 refuge. The rhinoceros, being unable to jump over 

 two yards of water, would be obliged to walk round 

 the pool ; which would give us a start. This little 



