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, 
