usual politeness, on hearing my desire to kill some rhinoceros,
ordered his sons to conduct the field for me. Off
we started by sunrise to the bottom of the hills overlooking
the head of the Little Windermere lake. On arrival
at the scene of action—a thicket of acacia shrubs—
all the men in the neighbourhood were assembled to beat.
Taking post myself, by direction, in the most likely place
to catch a sight of the animals, the day’s work began by
the beaters driving the covers in my direction. In a very
short time, a fine male was discovered making towards
me, but not exactly knowing where he should bolt to.
While he was in this perplexity, I stole along between the
bushes, and caught sight of him standing as if anchored
by the side of a tree, and gave him a broadsider with
Blissett, which, too much for his constitution to stand,
sent him off trotting, till exhausted by bleeding he lay
down to die, and allowed me to give him a settler.
In a minute or two afterwards, the good young princes,
attracted by the sound of the gun, came to see what was
done. Their surprise knew no bounds; they could scarcely
believe what they saw; and then, on recovering, with the
spirit of true gentlemen, they seized both my hands, congratulating
me on the magnitude of my success, and
pointed out, as an example of it, a bystander who showed
fearful scars, both on his abdomen and at the blade of his
shoulder, who they declared had been run through by one
of these animals. I t was, therefore, wonderful to them,
they observed, with what calmness I went up to such formidable
beasts.
Just at this time a distant cry was heard that another
rhinoceros was concealed in a thicket, and off we set to
pursue her. Arriving at the place mentioned, I settled at
once I would enter with only two spare men carrying
guns, for the acacia thorns were so thick that the only
tracks into the thicket were runs made by these animals.
Leading myself, bending down to steal in, I tracked up