VII SECOND EXPEDITION 165 



of my tuft of bush, turned off, much to my relief; for a 

 butterfly - net is not an altogether satisfactory weapon with 

 which to receive the onslaught of an evil-tempered rhinoceros. 

 Luckily my rifle was not hurt, but a piece was knocked out of 

 the stock of Shebane's own carbine. After this I broke the 

 spell by killing, with a long shot, a Grant's gazelle, after a 

 difficult stalk, which was especially satisfactory as I was feeling 

 tired and unwell at the time. I thus regained my confidence, 

 which is everything. 



As on my former journey, the country got greener and the 

 climate more humid as we neared the Lorogi Mountains. We 

 found the little river Seya flowing strongly with muddy water ; 

 and a thunder-shower, on the afternoon of the day we crossed 

 it, showed that the weather we had experienced the year before 

 near the range was no exception, but that the climate is really 

 damper there than elsewhere. A short march from the Seya 

 took us to my old hunting-camp at the little stream of El 

 Bogoi. On the way we were delayed about an hour by a 

 stroke of luck. While marching, in the early morning, through 

 cactus tree bush, — the thick grass still laden with moisture, and 

 the dewdrops shining in the newly- risen sun, — we came 

 suddenly right upon a pair of rhinos. The breeze was in our 

 faces, so they had not scented us, while the low sun, being on 

 our backs, prevented such purblind creatures from seeing us. 

 I had previously warned the men to be quiet, on the chance of 

 seeing game (though it was giraffe I had in my mind), as I 

 was particularly anxious to get meat for them at the end of 

 this stage of our journey. So, being meat hungry, they had 

 made no noise, and the rhinos, still intent on feeding, did not 

 hear our approach. I had only got a glimpse of them, round 

 the corner of a clump of bush, before I drew back and held up 

 my hand for the porters (who understood the meaning of the 

 gesture) to stand still, while I seized my Lee-Metford and 

 sneaked forward. I shot one, knocking him down on the spot ; 

 but I gave him two more bullets to make sure, being anxious, 



