114 IN AFRICA 



giving the picture machine time to get a good rec- 

 ord. The situation was intense beyond description, 

 and seconds seemed hours. When they started trot- 

 ting toward us we thought the fatal moment had 

 come, but instead of continuing the "charge," they 

 swung around and trotted swiftly off in an oppo- 

 site direction. As far as we could see them they 

 trotted swiftly and with the lightness of deer, some- 

 times zigzagging their course, but always away 

 from us. The charge had failed in spite of all our 

 efforts to provoke it. The whistling and hand-clap- 

 ping which we had hoped would give them our lo- 

 cation without doubt had merely served to tell them 

 the way not to go. 



The moving picture record of a "charging 

 rhino" would have been a brilliant success but for 

 one thing the rhino refused to charge. 



During the following ten days we made many 

 similar attempts to get a charge and always with 

 nearly the same results. Once or twice we got 

 within thirty yards before they finally turned tail 

 after a number of feints that looked much like the 

 beginning of a nasty charge. It was always in- 

 tensely thrilling work because there was the likeli- 

 hood that we might get a charge in spite of the fact 

 that a dozen or so previous experiences had failed 

 to precipitate one. 



In several cases the first rush of the rhino was 

 toward us, but instead of continuing, he would soon 

 swing about and make off, four times as badly 

 scared as we were. It seemed as though these pre- 



