CH. xv UNSUCCESSFUL RHINO HUNTS 167 



having gone a little way I fancied that I really did 

 see one lying at the foot of a tree some distance 

 ahead of me, but on approaching cautiously found 

 that it was nothing more than a great brown heap 

 of loose earth which one of the huge beasts had 

 raised by rolling about on the soft ground. This, 

 however, was evidently a resting-place which was 

 regularly used, so I made up my mind to spend 

 a night in the overhanging branches of the tree. 



The next afternoon, accordingly, Mahina and I 

 made our way back to the place, and by dusk 

 we were safely but uncomfortably perched among 

 the branches directly over the path. We had 

 scarcely been there an hour when to our delight 

 we heard a great rhino plodding along the track 

 in our direction. Unfortunately the moon had not 

 yet risen, so I was unable to catch sight of the 

 monster as he approached ; I knew, however, that 

 there was light enough for me to see him when he 

 emerged from the bushes into the little clearing 

 round the foot of our tree. Nearer and nearer we 

 heard him coming steadily on, and I had my rifle 

 ready, pointing it in the direction in which I 

 expected his head to appear. But, alas, just at that 

 moment the wind veered round and blew straight 

 from us towards the rhino, who scented us immedi- 

 ately, gave a mighty snort and then dived madly 

 away through the jungle. For some considerable 



