TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 229 



We sped across an open bit, and then into another 

 belt of jungle. The whole aspect of the spot looked 

 to me as the very place to see a repetition of the Baron 

 disaster. We plunged into the ubiquitous thorn, 

 starting a frightened dik-dik as I took my header. 

 Crawling, pushing, scratching, we won our way to 

 comparatively clear ground. Clarence raised his 

 hand for utter silence. We heard a scrunching and 

 breaking of thorns. A great beast was a-travelling. 

 Maybe he had winded us or been disturbed. And 

 then " a strange thing happened." I, who had been 

 absolutely impassive up to now, was drawn into the 

 mesh of desire. The effects of rhino shooting on me 

 is like unto the results of champagne drinking on 

 Brillat-Savarin, at first (ab initio) most exciting, after- 

 ward (in recessu) stupefying. I was now thoroughly 

 game for anything. But kept my reason in sufficient 

 bounds to remember that thick thorn cover is not an 

 ideal place to meet a rhino in. 



We did a most careful stalk, creeping towards the 

 place of the sounds, under Clarence's complete direc- 

 tions. At last, he alone pressed on with us, the 

 others willingly remaining where he signalled. W T e 

 were not now in overwhelmingly thick thorn, but 

 it was too dense to be pleasant, and necessitated our 

 handling our rifles with the greatest care. After a 

 hard few minutes we sank down to rest. Our rifles 

 covered a small clearing. 



The game of all sizes had made tunnels through the 

 jungly place, high enough in some parts for us to 

 stand upright, and all seemed to lead to this open 



