HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 
169 
Half-an-hour of the hardest going and we had reached 
our point—alas ! too late. The spoor, crossing a shallow 
pool, showed where the quarry had passed but a minute 
before, for on hurrying forward, we caught one glimpse 
of his bulky form disappearing round a bluff ahead. 
Having heard the impact of the ball so distinctly, 
and having two excellent trackers (Salim and Kenana), 
I had every confidence in recovering this grand prize ; 
a promise of good backsheesh further stimulated the 
men, and for three long hours we held the spoor forward, 
the trackers backing each other beautifully on either 
flank at each slight check. We were, however, rarely 
in difficulty, and indeed had made good at least six 
miles without a sign of the stricken beast ahead, nor 
had he once laid down. 
Towards noon, while passing outside a great conch¬ 
shaped recess scooped out of the impending mountain¬ 
side above, a sudden snort brought us up, and from 
some high bush fifty yards ahead there protruded the 
ugly armed snout of a rhinoceros. The wind was right 
and he had evidently not seen us, for his head turned 
to and fro, gazing; so I gently brought my glass to 
bear. He carried a good head, the two horns being 
more even in length than in my previous specimen at 
Elmenteita. Motioning to Salim, he handed me the 
•450, and with it (thoughtfully) a couple of “solid” 
cartridges, one of which I directed to the junction of neck 
and shoulders, though, owing to intervening bush, I 
could hardly see so far back. The shot was followed by 
heavy and continuous crashing among the brushwood— 
presumably the death-flurry; but we were soon un¬ 
deceived on that point, when two rhino dashed out 
straight ahead and at full gallop made direct for where 
w T e stood in the open. A couple of yards to the left 
was a thin burnt bush, a mere skeleton, behind which 
we jumped, and five seconds later the pair (which I now 
saw were a big cow with long thin horn, and a three- 
parts-grown calf) passed where we had a moment before 
been standing, but without seeing us, though so near. 
