II 
ON THE JAMBENI TANGE 
35 
open ground, standing close to a rather bushy little low tree. 
As I wanted meat for my men I went after them. The wind 
being right I got the tree between me and them and ap¬ 
proached. But I could see through the tree that they were 
disturbed (probably by the tick birds which are nearly always 
with rhinos and give them warning of approaching danger), so 
scuttled up to a tiny little bush, only about three feet high, grow¬ 
ing some thirty or forty yards from where they stood, and sat 
down, meaning to wait till one should show itself from behind 
the tree and be ready for a steady shot. But just as I did 
so one came half out on one side, offering a perfect side-shot. 
Though I could see that it was but a smallish one and thought 
from what I could make out through the tree that the other 
was much larger, as I knew they would be off immediately 
I thought it a pity to lose so tempting a chance, so gave 
her (it was a female) a bullet from my .577 just in the right 
spot behind the shoulder. Instantly the male came out 
straight for me. I had no time for a careful aim ; he was 
almost on me before I fired as it was, and sitting on the 
ground is not the most desirable position in which to receive 
the charge of a rhinoceros. He was not more than six paces 
from me when he turned off and bespattered me and my 
gun with spots of mud from the wet ground. So sudden 
was it all that I could not say whether it was the second 
before my shot that he lowered his nose (as for a charge) or 
the second after (as it might be stumbling to the shock of 
the bullet) ; but I know he did so just before swerving off. 
He then galloped away, passing his dead mate (for she was 
already down not more than fifty yards from where she had 
stood) on his way. I did not follow him, but sent two men 
back to camp to call more to carry in the meat, leaving one 
at the carcase, and went on with the other two, together with 
my gun-bearer and the native. 
We crossed a small stream where was a reedy swamp 
into which led the spoor of a single buffalo—the first I 
