406 RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO [ch. xiv 
while, Kermit and I, with our gun-bearers, went off with 
a “ shenzi,” a wild native who had just come in with the 
news that he knew where another rhino w r as lying, a 
few miles away. While bound thither, we passed 
numbers of oribi, and went close to a herd of water- 
buck, which stared at us with stupid tameness ; a single 
hartebeest was with them. When we reached the spot 
there was the rhino, sure enough, under a little tree, 
sleeping on his belly, his legs doubled up, and his head 
flat on the ground. Unfortunately, the grass was long, 
so that it was almost impossible to photograph him. 
However, Kermit tried to get his picture from an 
ant-hill fifty yards distant, and then, he with his camera 
and I with my rifle, walked up to within about twenty 
yards. At this point we halted, and on the instant the 
rhino jumped to his feet with surprising agility, and 
trotted a few yards out from under the tree. It was a 
huge bull, with a fair horn ; much the biggest bull we 
had yet seen ; and with head up and action high, the 
sun glinting on his slate hide and bringing out his 
enormous bulk, he was indeed a fine sight. I waited a 
moment for Kermit to snap him. Unfortunately the 
waving grass spoiled the picture. Then I fired right 
and left into his body, behind the shoulders, and down 
he went. In colour he seemed of exactly the same 
shade as the common rhino, but he was taller and 
heavier, being six feet high. He carried a stout horn, 
a little over two feet long ; the girth at the base was 
very great. 
Leaving the gun-bearers (with all our water) to skin 
the mighty beast, Kermit and I started for camp; and 
as we were rather late Kermit struck out at a great 
pace in front, while I followed on the little ambling 
mule. On our way in we passed the elephants, still 
