178 After Big Game in Central Africa 



door, that is, we hastily climb down the embankment, 

 plunge into the water up to the stomach, reach the 

 other bank by large strides, and scamper over the 

 plain at the moment our assailant reaches the ant-hill 

 mad with rage, blowing and snorting like a steam- 

 engine. We stop a few steps from the protecting 

 tree to listen and to look round with wide-open eyes. 

 We must make a very funny picture with our small 

 packages ; one of my men carries my cape, water- 

 bottle, and electric battery ; the other, like myself, 

 has a rifle in each hand. Needless to say, we are 

 ready to throw down everything which impedes us ; 

 but danger is not imminent for the moment, for upon 

 reaching our ant-hill the rhinoceros must have lost 

 our scent. Where is the animal ? That is what we 

 must know without delay, and only our ears can 

 tell us. 



Another snort and the noise of branches inform us 

 that it is skirting the pool to the right of our watch- 

 ing-place. . . . We must come to a decision without a 

 moment's delay. We decide to return immediately 

 to our ant-hill, because the animal cannot scent us 

 now: only, it has stopped perhaps, and is on its guard : 

 so we must not make a noise. Consequently, we judge 

 it wise not to cross the water, but to make a circuit 

 of the pool in the direction opposite to that taken by 

 the rhinoceros, in order to reach the ant-hill on the 

 left. We put this idea into execution without 

 accident. Hardly have we returned to the place 

 where we sat than we hear the pachyderm, which has 

 also passed round the pool, but the opposite way, 



