TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 231 



rhino turned on our inadequate fortress of mimosa, 

 and as the peril swept upon us we seemed to gather 

 wit and sense to combat the danger. Separating 

 widely as the beast plunged straight in where we had 

 been, we turned on him, simultaneously, to fire. Then 

 we branched off again, at right angles. I fell into a 

 thorn bush, and took the opportunity of comparative 

 safety to reload. Cecily was now dancing about in 

 the open, in a most sporting but in no sense a common- 

 sense fashion. For a dreadful instant I feared the 

 result. The rhino bull took up a large circle with its 

 careering and struggles, and the dust was so great that 

 from my post I could not clearly see the finish. I 

 heard the rifle crack twice again, and then a ringing 

 shout for me came. There lay the mighty carcase 

 in a kneeling attitude. A mountain of flesh indeed ! 



Cecily had a great gash on her wrist, caused, I fancy, 

 by some sharp flint stone, and the blood was running 

 down her rifle as she held it at the trail. She was 

 too excited to speak, and there was no calming her 

 down. She really seemed like a person in a dream. 

 I announced to her solemnly it was to be our last 

 rhino shoot. The tension relaxed then, and she 

 laughed at my serious face. 



A series of whistles brought up the hunters, and 

 the last phase began. Cecily and I set off to find our 

 ponies, and, full of elation, made for camp and tea. 

 We had tea at all hours of the day, finding it the most 

 refreshing of anything, and I don't really think it 

 affected our nerves one scrap. 



It was rather late when our men reached camp, 



