VII JOURNEY TO WEBBE SHABELEH RIVER 179 
of limestone, and in front and at the top of the small precipice 
were piled thorn-branches breast-high, so that I could fire over 
them. The front of the box was otherwise quite open, and the 
field of view embraced two right angles. 
We made this retreat in an hour, and I took up a position, 
as night fell, in the bower with my two hunters Géli and Hassan. 
We carried my three rifles and spare ammunition, and four 
more men brought my bedding, blankets for my hunters, a 
lamp, matches, and my water-bottle full of coffee. We did not 
forget a waterproof sheet each, to be used in case of rain. 
My four carriers had also brought a donkey, which they tied 
up to a block on a slab of limestone shelving down into the pool 
on the farther side, for we hoped thereby to attract lions; the 
carriers then went off to camp, and left us squatting silently in 
our shelter. 
I describe our arrangements thus in detail because I have 
in this way sat out for game on scores of nights, and one descrip- 
tion will serve for all. There is one thing I never omit, when 
about to spend a night in one of these jungle shelters, or when 
marching by night, and-that is to decorate the centre rib of 
each of my game rifles with a long strip of white foolscap 
paper, to assist the aim; for, however good the moonlight may 
be, it is impossible to see the tiny ivory fore-sight at night. 
I sat over this pool on five successive nights. On the 
first three hyenas came, but no lion or rhinoceros. The 
hyenas invariably came silently down to drink till they saw 
the living bait, and then at once took fright and galloped away ; 
on the succeeding four nights I therefore dispensed with the 
bait. For two hours, after the moon rose, several wild ducks 
kept us interested by playing about in the water and quacking, 
quite unaware of our presence. I then went to sleep. We 
saw nothing on the next evening, and I slept all night in the 
shelter, waking up covered with dew at daylight, and returning, 
rather stiff with the exposure, to camp. 
On the third night I was roused by Géli, whose eyes I 
could see full of excitement in the semi-darkness ; and still crouch- 
ing below my screen of branches, I could hear the wallowing of 
some heavy animal in the soft mud at the water's edge. We 
were all on the alert as I gently felt for the four-bore which 
Hassan shoved into my hands. On cautiously poking my 
head above the screen, I saw the great form of a rhinoceros 
standing motionless as a carved sphinx in the moonlight, 
