150 SAFARI 



instead of the regular charge of five. Osa wanted nie 

 to discharge the boy, but Ndundu was nowhere to be 

 found. He did not show up that night. Next morn- 

 ing I found him waiting for me outside my tent. 

 He was so sorry he actually cried, so of course Osa 

 forgave him and all was bright again. 



Some of the intensity of desire with which we 

 searched for rhinos at this time was gradually com- 

 municated to oiu" boys. One day, while we were out 

 near one of the mountain waterholes, two of them 

 went to the pool for water. On their return they 

 reported they had seen rhino which that particular 

 morning we very much wanted. 



"Did you see them?" I asked. 



"Yes, Bwana Piccer." 



"Good rhino?" 



"Yes, Bwana, very fine!" 



So off to the waterhole we went. There had been 

 no rhino there for twenty-four hours, so Btikhari 

 declared, and we knew enough now of the signs of 

 the trail to realize that he was right. 



"Why in the devil," I said to the luckless boys, 

 "did you say there were rhino? Why did you lie 

 tome?" 



"But, Bwana, there were tracks." . 



"They were old and you did not tell me 

 that." 



"Yes, Bwana, that is so. We knew that; but two 



