COKE IS CHASED BY A RHINOCEROS. 255 



in the best shade to be found. The business terminated 

 with a severe lecture to the combatants, and a warning 

 that if there was any more fighting between them the 

 one most clearly in the wrong should be at once sent 

 back to Kassala. Afterwards we heard from Albert 

 that Mohamed had received a present from Kassala of 

 some ' booza ' ( a kind of native beer made from dhurra), 

 and that he had been decidedly ' boosy ' the whole day. 

 Last night we dined with Coke and Cumming, and this 

 evening we returned the compliment, and Coke enter- 

 tained us with an account of a most spirited adventure 

 he had just had with a rhinoceros. When some 

 distance from home he suddenly came upon three in 

 some low grass, and was able to creep within a few 

 yards of them without being seen ; and conceiving the 

 bold design of trying to bag them all he gave two a 

 right-and-left, and reloading rapidly before they had 

 discovered their enemy took a shot at the third. The 

 first two decamped, but this one, whilst more boldly 

 looking about him, received another ball from the ten- 

 bore in the side, and then catching sight of Coke charged 

 straight at him. Coke, guided by the current belief that 

 a rhinoceros never turns when he has once made off, 

 stepped a little on one side to give him plenty of room 

 to pass on ; but instead of doing so he changed his 

 course accordingly, and there was nothing left for Coke 

 to do but to run for his life to the nearest mimosa-tree, 



