第7章

"I looked， and saw that this unfortunate fellow was in a very tight place. A great spike of aloe had run through the back of his skin waist-belt， though without piercing his flesh， in such a fashion that it was impossible for him to move， while within six feet of him the injured buffalo bull， thinking， no doubt， that he was the aggressor， bellowed and ramped to get at him， tearing the thick aloes with his great horns. That no time was to be lost， if I wished to save the man's life， was very clear. So seizing my eight-bore， which was fortunately uninjured， I took a pace to the left， for the rhinoceros had enlarged the hole in the bush， and aimed at the point of the buffalo's shoulder， since on account of my position I could not get a fair side shot for the heart. As I did so I saw that the rhinoceros had given the bull a tremendous wound in the stomach， and that the shock of the encounter had put his left hind-leg out of joint at the hip. I fired， and the bullet striking the shoulder broke it， and knocked the buffalo down. I knew that he could not get up any more， because he was now injured fore and aft， so notwithstanding his terrific bellows I scrambled round to where he was. There he lay glaring furiously and tearing up the soil with his horns. Stepping up to within two yards of him I aimed at the vertebra of his neck and fired. The bullet struck true， and with a thud he dropped his head upon the ground， groaned， and died.

"This little matter having been attended to with the assistance of Gobo， who had now found his feet， I went on to extricate our unfortunate companion from the aloe bush. This we found a thorny task， but at last he was dragged forth uninjured， though in a very pious and prayerful frame of mind. His 'spirit had certainly looked that way，' he said， or he would now have been dead. As I never like to interfere with true piety， I did not venture to suggest that his spirit had deigned to make use of my eight-bore in his interest.

"Having despatched this boy back to the camp to tell the bearers to come and cut the buffalo up， I bethought me that I owed that rhinoceros a grudge which I should love to repay. So without saying a word of what was in my mind to Gobo， who was now more than ever convinced that Fate walked about loose in Wambe's country， I just followed on the brute's spoor. He had crashed through the bush till he reached the little glade. Then moderating his pace somewhat， he had followed the glade down its entire length， and once more turned to the right through the forest， shaping his course for the open land that lies between the edge of the bush and the river. Having followed him for a mile or so further， I found myself quite on the open. I took out my glasses and searched the plain. About a mile ahead was something brown--as I thought， the rhinoceros. I advanced another quarter of a mile， and looked once more --it was not the rhinoceros， but a big ant- heap. This was puzzling， but I did not like to give it up， because I knew from his spoor that he must be somewhere ahead. But as the wind was blowing straight from me towards the line that he had followed， and as a rhinoceros can smell you for about a mile， it would not， I felt， be safe to follow his trail any further； so I made a détour of a mile and more， till I was nearly opposite the ant-heap， and then once more searched the plain. It was no good， I could see nothing of him， and was about to give it up and start after some oryx I saw on the skyline， when suddenly at a distance of about three hundred yards from the ant-heap， and on its further side， I saw my rhino stand up in a patch of grass.

"'Heavens！' I thought to myself， 'he's off again；' but no， after standing staring for a minute or two he once more lay down.

"Now I found myself in a quandary. As you know， a rhinoceros is a very short-sighted brute， indeed his sight is as bad as his scent is good.

Of this fact he is perfectly aware， but he always makes the most of his natural gifts. For instance， when he lies down he invariably does so with his head down wind. Thus， if any enemy crosses his wind he will still be able to escape， or attack him； and if， on the other hand， the danger approaches up wind he will at least have a chance of seeing it. Otherwise， by walking delicately， one might actually kick him up like a partridge， if only the advance was made up wind.

"Well， the point was， how on earth should I get within shot of this rhinoceros？ After much deliberation I determined to try a side approach， thinking that in this way I might get a shoulder shot.