HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 



171 



on the eland's spoor, passing on our way the sixth rhino, 

 still quiescent on his ridge and attended by numerous 

 tick-birds. The eland now led us upwards and west- 

 wards, on to open veld where we could see for miles 

 stretchino- away towards the Molo Kiver, and as nothino- 

 was in sight, after four hours' spooring, we were reluct- 

 antly obliged to abandon that quest as c[uite beyond 

 hope. 





"SPOILIXG FOE A FIGHT " (RHINO). 



It was now nearly two o'clock. In five shots that day 

 I had wounded four of the finest game- beasts in Africa, 

 and had not got one of them. I concluded it was 

 Kismet, and sat down to lunch on biscuits and cold tea 

 while reflecting on the extraordinary events that had 

 just occurred. "What was their inner history ? What 

 strange frenzy had possessed them, to set all those 

 rhinos charging madly down-ivind ? Wild animals 

 seeking safety in flight, invariably point their noses into 

 the wind ; that is their safeguard. Naturally one had 



