THE RHINOCEROS BIRD. 221 



CHAPTER XIII. 



March 13. Vivian has been on the track of a lion 

 all the morning, and had the small satisfaction of only 

 seeing him sneaking away in the distance* Essafi took 

 me quite a new beat into the Base country, though not 

 looking very happy about it, and especially when he 

 pulled up once to show me some tracks of naked feet 

 and gravely said, ' Base.' Still on we went, and coming 

 upon a fresh rhinoceros track all thought of the enemy 

 vanished. Very soon he stops short and points upward^ 

 but there was nothing that I could see excepting a 

 very small bird with a peculiar chirping note flitting 

 about in front of us. No time then for an explanation, 

 for we dismounted immediately, and having fastened our 

 horses to the nearest tree, began creeping stealthily 

 through some long grass for a few yards, when Essafi 

 pointed out a rhinoceros lying asleep close to us, and 

 almost completely hidden in the grass. Now was the time 

 to test the twelve-bore rifle with its hardened spherical 

 bullet and small charge of two-and-a-half drachms of pow- 



