266 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
close to the bank of a dry watercourse. On following him up, 
keeping along the watercourse, I got within about 500 yards 
of him, and made out that he was in reality standing in the shade 
cast by a table-topped mimosa-tree which was growing in 
the bed of the watercourse, and that he was within a few feet 
of the edge of the bank,’which was quite precipitous and some 
ten feet high. 
I immediately saw from the open nature of the ground 
that my only chance of getting near him was to cross the water- 
course where I stood, and make a détour on the opposite bank 
until I got the top of the mimosa-tree between myself and the 
rhino. On arriving back at the edge of the bank, and being 
now immediately opposite the beast, which was quite hidden 
by the top of the tree, I found that the watercourse, which was 
just here very wide—as the banks had given way when the stream 
was in flood—was full of tall dry cane-grass. Climbing down 
into this grass, which was about eight feet high, I crept along very 
slowly, and as noiselessly as I could, the grass being.very brittle, 
until I came to a narrow strip of sand, the actual watercourse ; 
but on raising myself I found that I had come too near, and was 
unable to see the rhino, as he was standing a little back from 
the edge of the bank. Retracing my steps a short way, I was 
still unable to see him, this time on account of the tall grass ; 
but being determined, if possible, not to be done, I again went 
forward and got up to the foot of the tree, which stood within 
four feet of the precipitous bank. At that moment the beast 
must have heard me, as I could hear him give two or three 
snorts, and stamps with his feet, which sounded unpleasantly 
near. Feeling, however, that I was perfectly safe, I very quietly 
swarmed a few feet up the tree, and saw the rhino was standing 
facing me, with head up, about eight feet from the edge of the 
bank. At the same moment he saw me and came forward to 
the extreme edge. Slipping down the tree, I gave Ramazan, 
my gun-bearer, to understand by signs what to do, and again 
swarmed up the tree, caught hold of a small branch with 
my left hand, and hung on to the trunk with my legs ; Ramazan, 
aii 
PS eee ee 
pee lane Arai ley 
