130 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



My hands trembled violently. I was for the moment 

 unsteady. It all seemed so impossible I could kill the 

 wondrous brute. 



The cocking of the hammers seemed to echo through 

 the jungle. To let him hear us now would present 

 difficulties unthinkable. Beads of perspiration rolled 

 down my forehead, and my heart beat so loudly that I 

 wondered if Clarence heard it. This would never do, 

 so rating myself to myself — a method that never fails 

 to pull me together — I took long, steady, and careful 

 aim at the pachyderm's shoulder. The frontal shot is 

 never of the slightest use, and I could not get in a 

 heart one. I know now I had no business to fire at 

 all, but my keenness was great, my ignorance greater, 

 and Clarence had not protested once. 



I fired ! Instantly a noise like the letting off steam 

 of a C.P.R. engine, twice as noisy as any other. The 

 rhino sniffed the air with his huge muzzle, and I could 

 clearly see his prehensile upper lip. In a moment he 

 seemed on us — through us ; we scattered as he came. 

 Then I saw what a truly awful business we were in 

 for, and, recognising there must be no delay in getting 

 the sights on him again, I dashed after the animal, 

 who was now about to double on his tracks, and 1 

 crawled into the insignificant shelter of a thorn bush 

 to await developments. 



The rhino had not as yet realised what was the 

 matter, or quite gathered who his foes were. I fired 

 again, another shoulder shot. This bullet "told" 

 heavily, and the maddened creature, smarting and 

 furious, passed me like the wind and charged like a 



