IX 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



391 



narrow, and in consequence the current was very strong. 

 The antelope crossed to the other bank, and then 

 stood at bay, endeavouring to strike the dogs with his 

 fore feet and horns. He cut two of them sHghtly, but 

 this in no degree abated their ardour; so, fearing the 

 dogs might get injured, I at length despatched him 

 with a shot in the brain. 



It was only in the early morning or late afternoon 

 that the dogs proved of any service in hunting. While 

 the sun was blazing hot, all their energies seemed 

 expended in keeping up with the caravan ; and even 

 if a rhinoceros was killed within a few yards of them, 

 they took no interest in the event. But when the 

 air was cool, they were most useful in chasing game 

 of any sort. On one occasion just after sunrise they 

 caught sight of a rhinoceros standing at a distance 

 of 200 yards from our path, and were after him at 

 full speed, barking vigorously, and snapping at his 

 legs. The beast knew not what to do, in order to 

 escape his little tormentors, and so kept turning round 

 and round. At length Felix managed to seize one 

 of his ears, to which he clung tenaciously. The rhi- 

 noceros then began a series of rapid revolutions for 

 the purpose of shaking off the dog, but Felix held 

 on like grim death ; although at times by the swift 

 motions of the rhinoceros his body was swung at right 

 angles from perpendicular. As the attention of the 

 beast was monopolized by the dogs, I was able to 

 approach as close as I wished, and I despatched him 

 with a shot in the heart. The only animal which filled 

 my dogs with timidity was the lion. If we crossed 

 the track of one of these beasts, the little dogs would 



