128 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



was impossible, the broken thorns could not solve 

 the puzzle. We must chance it. Clarence was for the 

 left. I advocated the right. Something made me 

 choose so ; but oh, how devoutly afterwards I wished 

 I had taken the man's way and not mine own. It was 

 not easy going now, but child's play to what we 

 endured at first. On and on, very, very slowly ; and 

 at last the heavy country broke up somewhat and we 

 could see the sandy ground in patches once more. A 

 space and then — rhino spoor ! New, never-to-be- 

 forgotten, I stooped down and examined it carefully. 

 It was very distinct considering the dry nature of the 

 ground. I ascribed this to his immense weight. I 

 measured the imprint, and found it came out at nine 

 and three-quarters long by eight and three-quarter 

 inches broad. A rhino causes no havoc to the thorn 

 bushes as he travels bar the injury of his passage. 

 Unlike the elephant, he does not stop and eat all along 

 the way. He waits until settled in some cherished 

 feeding ground. 



By the time we had done another hour, the spoor 

 still holding on, the country was comparatively clear. 

 I was so fatigued and winded I lay down and hardly 

 knew what to do with myself. I sent Clarence and 

 the Baron on a bit to prospect, and had really 

 nearly forgotten their existence in exhausted sleep 

 when they appeared again all tingling with excitement 

 and eagerness, and with many signs and mysterious 

 facial contortions explained the rhino was not far off. 

 A wave of the hand to a far away fastness of thicket 

 showed me its lair, and as we crept closer a pensive 



