ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 141 



horn, more or less rudimentary. After a cursory 

 examination, we returned to bed at 1.20. 



At three o'clock we turned out aQ;ain, but in five 

 hours' walk failed to find a hippo ashore, though several 

 were orruntins: and blowing close outside the rushes. I 

 stalked one of these and at about fifty yards fired at 

 his head — so much, that is to say, as was above water, 

 say three inches. The light was most uncertain for 

 fine shooting, for the moon being in zenith, perpendicu- 

 lar, the nio;ht-sig;hts lent no assistance. Yet the ball 

 seemed to strike fair and square, since no water flew up : 

 but we saw that hippo no more. He disappeared without 

 leaving a ripple or the slightest clue to guide us. What 

 a disturbance that shot created ! From the trees over- 

 head clattered out guinea-fowl in scores, while all the 

 peoples of the wilderness, geese and pelicans, flamingoes, 

 ibis, cranes, and the rest protested in strident cries 

 ao'ainst that outrasre on the decencies of nioiit. 



As the dawn broke we thouoht we heard a lion close 

 by ; it proved, however, to be an ostrich, the two 

 notes being singularly alike. Then followed another 

 startling cry, an explosive croak coming from the 

 heavens, twice repeated. It was a Goliath heron, sailing 

 overhead from the forests above. Presently, with set 

 wings, the great bird swept dowuAvards and settled on 

 a rush-clad spit a mile away. Ducks in successive packs 

 (chiefly mallard, pintail and shoveler) were stream- 

 ing in towards the lake, where we also observed sacred 

 ibis, stilts, greenshanks, ruifs and green sandpipers. 



Returning to camp after the adventures of this 

 night, we examined the rhino. All our three bullets, 

 we found, had got well home ; but the shot that had 

 actually done the deed was little short of a miracle — 

 Providential. Missing by a hair's-breadth the two great 

 horns as the beast came on headlong, it had crashed into 

 the massive neck between the ears, smashing the spinal 

 column. Had the ball touched either horn, it must 

 have been deflected. 



It was my pony, " Goldfinch," we now learned, that 



