CHAPTER VIII 



BEYOND BARINGO 

 (ll) TWO RHINOS 



That same afternoon when I had secured my oryx 

 bull, after the usual midday rest in camp we went out 

 separately in search of Gazella petersi, being still under 

 the false impression that that species was the gazelle of 

 Baringo. While I was busy " glassing " a small herd, 

 Elmi suddenly turned on me, and I knew by the fire in 

 his eye what was coming. "I see rhino," he said. 

 The huge beast was standing about 400 yards away 

 in a grassy glade — a sort of broad grass street bor- 

 dered on either side by a line of low thorn-bush. I 

 was unprepared, having only five "solid" cartridges 

 with me ; but, as it was too late to send back to camp 

 for more, I decided to take on the rhino at once. On 

 reaching the grass street the rhino had disappeared. I 

 therefore proceeded along the windward side of the open, 

 keeping close under the lee of the low thorns, amidst 

 which I expected to find him. It was, nevertheless, a 

 bit of a shock when I found we had walked within 

 twenty yards before seeing him. He was standing 

 facing us, up a sort of side street, or narrow opening in 

 the scrub. Being almost under the rhino's nose, I 

 dropped in the grass, Elmi behind me. The latter, as 

 we lay still, presently remarked (and the words were not 

 reassuring), " Shoot, he's coming ! " The expression for 

 a moment conveyed the idea of a charge ; but I could 

 see for myself that there was no such clanger, as the 

 beast clearly had not seen us, although so near. What 

 Elmi meant was that the rhino was moving our way. 



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