Rhino, and how not to shoot them 



only broken the larger stems, the others had swung 

 back after him. Owing to our creeping position, 

 any animal standing fairly high on its legs 

 couldn't make us out well, and I several times 

 saw the limbs and bodies of gerenuk quite close. 

 From 8.40 till midday we spoored like this, then 

 suddenly I am always using this word, but most 

 things do happen suddenly when after big game 

 suddenly then, there was a terrific crashing just 

 ahead with snorts for all the world like a train 

 starting, and a mighty beast was away without 

 a man of us seeing him. In another moment we 

 were standing on the ground where he had been 

 lying down, bang in the middle of a thorn bush. 

 We had a short consultation, and decided to leave 

 him for a bit to settle down and then to resume 

 tracking. I was carrying my 12-bore rifle, which 

 had hammers. These I had cocked when I heard 

 the rhino, but owing to the danger of its going 

 off by mistake while forcing my way through the 

 bush, and anticipating no further excitement for 

 a bit, I now let them down. Abdi Adan and the 

 camel-man threw themselves on the ground for a 

 blow ; Spots strolled on a bit, examining the 

 spoor ; I was on my feet about ten yards behind 

 Spots and twenty yards ahead of the other two. 

 A whistle from Abdi Adan. I looked round and 

 saw him wildly excited and pointing at something 

 beyond me. Now it is always difficult to see the 



