422 RHINOCEROS OF THE LADO [ch. xiv 
country was just such as that in which we had hitherto 
found our rhinos ; and there was fresh sign of rhino as 
well as buffalo. The thorny, scantily-leaved trees were 
perhaps a little closer together than in most places, and 
there were a good many half-burned patches of tall 
grass. We passed a couple of ponds which must have 
been permanent, as water-lilies were growing in them ; 
at one a buffalo had been drinking. It was half-past 
twelve when we reached the place where Sururu had 
seen the bull. We then advanced with the utmost 
caution, as the wind was shifty, and although the cover 
was thin, it yet rendered it difficult to see a hundred 
yards in advance. At last we made out the bull, on 
his feet and feeding, although it was high noon. He 
was stern toward us, and while we were stealing toward 
him a puff of wind gave him our scent. At once he 
whipped around, gazed at us for a moment with out¬ 
stretched head, and galloped off. I could not get a 
shot through the bushes, and after him we ran, Ivongoni 
leading, with me at his heels. It was hot work running, 
for at this time the thermometer registered 102° F. in the 
shade. Fortunately the bull had little fear of man, and 
being curious, and rather truculent, he halted two or 
three times to look round. Finally, after we had run a 
mile and a half, he halted once too often, and I got a 
shot at him at eighty yards. The heavy bullet went 
home. I fired twice again as rapidly as possible, and 
the animal never moved from where he had stood. 
He was an old bull, as big as an East African buffalo, 
but his worn horns were smaller and rather different. 
This had rendered Kongoni uncertain whether he might 
not be a cow ; and when we came up to the body he 
exclaimed with delight that it was a 44 duck ”—Kongoni’s 
invariable method of pronouncing 44 buck,” the term he 
