202 TO LAKE NAIVASHA [ch. ix 
beest galloping by renewed their alarm. It was curious 
to see them sweeping the ground with their long, ugly 
heads, endeavouring to catch the scent. A mile’s rapid 
walk brought us within two hundred yards, and we 
dared not risk the effort for a closer approach lest they 
should break and run. The cow turned broadside on, 
and I hit her behind the shoulder; but I was not 
familiar with the heavy Holland rifle at that range, and 
my bullet went rather too low. I think the wound 
would eventually have proved fatal; but both beasts 
went off at a gallop, the cow now and then turning from 
side to side in high dudgeon, trying to catch the wind 
of her foe. We mounted our horses, and after a two- 
mile canter overhauled our quarry. Cuninghame took 
me well to leeward, and ahead, of the rhinos, which 
never saw us ; and then we walked to within a hundred 
yards, and I killed the cow. But we were now much 
puzzled by the young one, which refused to leave. We 
did not wish to kill it, for it was big enough to shift for 
itself; but it was also big enough to kill either of us. 
We drew back, hoping it would go away; but it did 
not. So when the gun-bearers arrived we advanced 
and tried to frighten it; but this plan also failed. It 
threatened to charge, but could not quite make up its 
mind. Watching my chance, I then creased its stern 
with a bullet from the little Springfield, and after some 
wild circular galloping it finally decided to leave. 
Kermit, about this time, killed a heavy boar from 
horseback after a three-mile run. The boar charged 
twice, causing the horse to buck and shy. Finally, just 
as he was going into his burrow backward, Kermit raced 
by and shot him, firing his rifle from the saddle after 
the manner of the old-time Western buffalo runners. 
We now rejoined Mearns and Loring on the banks of 
