THE FIRST LION 



side hill, and partly concealed by the brush, stood 

 two rhinoceroses. 



They were side by side, apparently dozing. We 

 squatted on our heels for a consultation. 



The obvious thing, as the wind was from them, 

 was to sneak quietly by, saying nuffin' to nobody. 

 But although we wanted no more rhino, we very 

 much wanted rhino pictures. A discussion de- 

 veloped no really good reason why we should not 

 kodak these especial rhinos — except that there 

 were two of them. So we began to worm our way 

 quietly through the bushes in their direction. 



F. and B. deployed on the flanks, their double- 

 barrelled rifles ready for instant action. I occupied 

 the middle with that dangerous weapon the 3 A 

 kodak. Memba Sasa followed at my elbow, hold- 

 ing my big gun. 



Now the trouble with modern photography is 

 that it is altogether too lavish in its depiction of dis- 

 tances. If you do not believe it, take a picture of a 

 horse at as short a range as twenty-five yards. 

 That equine will, in the development, have receded to 

 a respectable middle distance. Therefore it had 

 been agreed that the advance of the battle line was 

 to cease only when those rhinoceroses loomed up rea- 

 sonably large in the finder. I kept looking into 

 the finder, you may be sure. Nearer and nearer 



105 



