116 IN AFRICA 



ences we had were exceedingly lucky ones, and per- 

 haps exceptional ones in that respect. 



In only one instance was it necessary for us to 

 kill a rhino and even then it was done more in the 

 interest of photography than of urgent necessity. 

 On our game licenses we were each allowed to kill 

 two rhinos, and as I wanted one of the Tana River 

 variety it was arranged that I should try to get the 

 first big one with good horns. After a hunt of sev- 

 eral hours we found two of them together out on 

 the slope of a long hill. Our glasses showed that 

 one of them was quite large and equipped with a 

 splendid front horn nearly two feet long and a 

 rear horn about a foot long. At the lower slope of 

 the hill were two or three trees that screened our 

 approach so that we were easily enabled to get with- 

 in about one hundred and fifty yards of them with- 

 out danger of discovery. From the trees onward 

 the country was an open prairie for two or three 

 miles. 



Armed with a double-barreled cordite rifle and 

 the comforting reflection that the chances were 

 seven to one that the rhinos would not charge, I 

 slowly advanced alone toward the two rhinos. Be- 

 hind me about fifty yards was the long range cam- 

 era and a second gun manned by Mr. Stephenson. 

 When fifty yards from the rhinos I stopped, but 

 as no offensive tactics were apparent in the camp 

 of the enemy, I slowly walked forward to thirty- 

 five yards. Then they saw me. They faced me with 

 what seemed like an attitude of decided unfriendli- 



