CHAPTER VIII 
BEYOND BABINGO 
(il) TWO RHINOS 
That same afternoon when I had secured my oryx 
bull, after the usual midday rest in camp we went out 
separately in search of Gazella jpetersi , being still under 
the false impression that that species was the gazelle of 
Baringo. While I was busy “ glassing 55 a small herd, 
Elmi suddenly turned on me, and I knew by the fire in 
his eye what was coming. “ I see rhino,” he said. 
The huge beast was standing about 400 yards away 
in a grassy glade—a sort of broad grass street bor¬ 
dered on either side by a line of low thorn-bush. I 
was unprepared, having only five “ solid ” cartridges 
with me ; but, as it was too late to send back to camp 
for more, I decided to take on the rhino at once. On 
reaching the grass street the rhino had disappeared. I 
therefore proceeded along the windward side of the open, 
keeping close under the lee of the low thorns, amidst 
which I expected to find him. It was, nevertheless, a 
bit of a shock when I found we had walked within 
twenty yards before seeing him. He was standing 
facing us, up a sort of side street, or narrow opening in 
the scrub. Being almost under the rhinos nose, I 
dropped in the grass, Elmi behind me. The latter, as 
we lay still, presently remarked (and the words were not 
reassuring), “ Shoot, he’s coming ! ” The expression for 
a moment conveyed the idea of a charge ; but I could 
see for myself that there was no such danger, as the 
beast clearly had not seen us, although so near. What 
Elmi meant was that the rhino was moving our way. 
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