408 RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO [ch. xiv 
feeding throng; on the ground the vultures made way 
for him respectfully enough, but they resented his 
presence, and now and then two or three would unite 
to mob him while on the wing. 
We wished for another cow rhino, so as to have a bull 
and a cow both for the National Museum at Washington, 
and for the American Museum in New York; and 
Keraiit was to shoot this. Accordingly he and I started 
off early one morning with Grogan—a man of about 
twenty-five, a good hunter and a capital fellow, with 
whom by this time we were great friends. It was 
much like our other hunts. We tramped through high 
grass across a big, swampy plain or broad valley between 
low rises of ground, until, on the opposite side, we 
struck a by-this-time familiar landmark, two tall royal 
palms, the only ones for some miles around. Here we 
turned into a broad elephant and rhinoceros path, worn 
deep and smooth by the generation of huge feet that 
had tramped it; for it led from the dry inland to a 
favourite drinking place on the Nile. Along this we 
walked until Kassitura made out the trail of two rhino 
crossing it at right angles. They were evidently feeding 
and seeking a noonday resting-place ; in this country 
the square-mouthed rhinoceros live on the grassy flats, 
sparsely covered with small thorn-trees, and only go 
into the high reeds on their way to drink. With 
Kassitura and Kongoni in the lead we followed the fresh 
trail for a mile or so, until we saw our quarry. The 
stupid beasts had smelt us, but were trotting to and fro 
in a state of indecision and excitement, tails twisting 
and ears cocked, uncertain what to do. At first we 
thought they were a bull and a small cow ; but they 
proved to be a big cow with good horns, and a calf 
which was nearly full grown. The wind and sun were 
