TKACKING THE RHINOCEROS. 281 



the river, but he had not been actually seen. This was, on 

 the whole, most encouraging; our apprehension being that, 

 rendered suspicious by the attentions he was receiving, our 

 visitor might have considered it advisable to change his 

 quarters. 



Having with us four elephants but no "howdahs," it 

 was resolved to beat him out, and shoot him from positions 

 taken up outside, when he should break cover. The patch 

 of jungle to be explored was not more than eight or ten 

 acres in extent, lying on the river bank, and nowhere dense, 

 consisting, as it did, of dwarf palm intermingled with 

 tamarisk bushes and high grasses; in short, as it appeared 

 afterwards, we might have walked through it on foot. 

 Fifty yards on its north, a water-course running down to 

 the river had been dammed up near its mouth, on which the 

 spoor was thick, proving that it had been much used by Rhino 

 in his nocturnal promenades, although abundant proofs of 

 his presence were not wanting elsewhere about the jungle 

 side. 



Our preparations being completed soon after sunrise, 

 active operations commenced by the advance of the elephants, 

 under the command of G. G. M., assisted by a gentleman, 

 introduced to us who had not the privilege of his acquaint- 

 ance as the " Bloody Captain," whom we found awaiting us 

 in camp. The breeze blowing from the south, the beaters 

 formed line on that side of the covert, while we took post on 

 the opposite, along the water-course, which afforded some sort 

 of cover, and in which direction, but at some little distance, 

 there still stood a remnant of the " Soonderbun " forest. 

 C. B. S. and I stood one on each side of the dam, in full 

 expectation of that becoming presently the line of retreat 

 when the enemy took flight. D. R S. stood fifty paces west 

 of us, partially concealed behind a bush ; and lastly, D., from 

 opposite its north-west angle, watched the jungle on our 

 right. 



Barely ten minutes after the beat commenced the shrill 

 cries of the elephants, the shouts of their drivers, and a shot 



