"THE GREAT ATHI PLAINS." 



CHAPTER XVII 



AN INFURIATED RHINO 



MY work at Tsavo was finished in March, 1899, 

 when I received instructions to proceed to railhead 

 and take charge of a section of the work there. 

 For many reasons I was sorry to say good-bye to 

 Tsavo, where I had spent an eventful year ; but all 

 the same I was very glad to be given this new post, 

 as I knew that there would be a great deal of inter- 

 esting work to be done and a constant change of 

 camp and scene, as the line progressed onward to 

 the interior. In good spirits, therefore, I set out 

 for my new headquarters on March 28. By this 

 time railhead had reached a place called Machakos 

 Road, some two hundred and seventy-six miles 

 from Mombasa and within a few miles of the 

 great Athi Plains, the latter being treeless and 



