the
animal with a clod of earth, the beast would probably have "charged"
away in identically the same direction. I am convinced from a fairly
varied experience that this is the basis for most of the thrilling
experiences with rhinoceroses.

But whatever the beast's first mental attitude, the danger is quite
real. In the beginning he rushes, upwind in instinctive reaction against
the strange scent. If he catches sight of the man at all, it must be
after he has approached to pretty close range, for only at close range
are the rhino's eyes effective. Then he is quite likely to finish what
was at first a blind dash by a genuine charge. Whether this is from
malice or from the panicky feeling that he is now too close to attempt
to get away, I never was able determine. It is probably in the majority
of cases the latter. This seems indicated by the fact that the rhino, if
avoided in his first rush, will generally charge right through and keep
on going. Occasionally, however, he will whirl and come back to the
attack. There can then be no doubt that he actually intends mischief.

Nor must it be forgotten that with these animals, AS WITH ALL OTHERS,
not enough account is taken of individual variation. They, as well as
man, and as well as other animals, have their cowards, their fighters,
their slothful and their enterprising. And, too, there seem to be
truculent and peaceful districts. North of Mt. Kenia, between that peak
and the Northern Guaso Nyero River, we saw many rhinos, none of which
showed the slightest disposition to turn ugly. In fact, they were so
peaceful that they scrabbled off as fast as they could go every time
they either scented, heard, or SAW us; and in their flight they held
their noses up, not down. In the wide angle between the Tana and Thika
rivers, and comprising the Yatta Plains, and in the thickets of the
Tsavo, the rhinoceroses generally ran nose down in a position of attack
and were much inclined to let their angry passions master them at the
sight of man. Thus we never had our safari scattered by rhinoceroses
in the former district, while in the latter the boys were up trees six
times in the course of one morning! Carl Akeley, with a moving picture
machine, could not tease a charge out of a rhino in a dozen tries, while
Dugmore, in a different part of the country, was so chivied about that
he finally left the district to avoid killing any more of the brutes in
self-defence!

The fact of the matter