HUNTING IN THE SOTIK 
177 
At last a day came when I saw a rhino with a big body 
and a good horn. We had been riding for a couple of hours; 
the game was all around us. Two giraffes stared at us 
with silly curiosity rather than alarm; twice I was within 
range of the bigger one. At last Bakhari, the gun-bearer, 
pointed to a gray mass on the plain, and a glance through 
the glasses showed that it was a rhino lying asleep with his 
legs doubled under him. He proved to be a big bull, with 
a front horn nearly twenty-six inches long. I was anxious 
to try the sharp-pointed bullets of the little Springfield 
rifle on him; and Cuninghame and I, treading cautiously, 
walked up wind straight toward him, our horses following 
a hundred yards behind. He was waked by the tick-birds, 
and twisted his head to and fro, but at first did not seem to 
hear us, although looking in our direction. When we were 
a hundred yards off he rose and faced us, huge and threat¬ 
ening, head up and tail erect. But he lacked heart after 
all. I fired into his throat, and instead of charging, he 
whipped round and was off at a gallop, immediately dis¬ 
appearing over a slight rise. We ran back to our horses, 
mounted, and galloped after him. He had a long start, and, 
though evidently feeling his wound, was going strong; and 
it was some time before we overtook him. I tried to gal¬ 
lop alongside, but he kept swerving; so jumping off (fort¬ 
unately, I was riding Tranquillity) I emptied the maga¬ 
zine at his quarters and flank. Rapid galloping does not 
tend to promote accuracy of aim; the rhino went on; and, 
remounting, I followed, overtook him, and repeated the 
performance. This time he wheeled and faced round, evi¬ 
dently with the intention of charging, but a bullet straight in 
his chest took all the fight out of him, and he continued 
