1 7 o THE MAN-EATERS OF TSAVO CHAP. 



was an opening in the elephant grass which lined 

 the river's edge, and through this the broad stream 

 shone like silver in the moonlight. Without warning 

 this gap was suddenly filled by a huge black mass 

 a rhino making his way, very leisurely, out of the 

 shallow water. On he came with a slow, ponderous 

 tread, combining a certain stateliness with his 

 awkward strides. Almost directly beneath us he 

 halted and stood for an instant clearly exposed to 

 our view. This was my opportunity ; I took care- 

 ful aim at his shoulder and fired. Instantly, and 

 with extraordinary rapidity, the huge beast whirled 

 round like a peg-top, whereupon I fired again. This 

 time I expected him to fall ; but instead of that 

 I had the mortification of seeing him rush off into 

 the jungle and of hearing him crash through it like 

 a great steam-roller for several minutes. I consoled 

 myself by thinking that he could not go far, as he 

 was hard hit, and that I should easily find him when 

 daylight arrived. Mahina, who was in a wild state 

 of excitement over the burra janwar (great animal), 

 was also of this opinion, and as there was no longer 

 any reason for silence, he chatted to me about many 

 strange and curious things until the grey dawn 

 appeared. When we got down from our perch, we 

 found the track of the wounded rhino clearly 

 marked by great splashes of blood, and for a couple. 

 of miles the spoor could thus be easily followed. 



