lf that I had not had this long crawl with the sun
beating on the back of my neck like a furnace for nothing, I heard the
hissing note of the rhinoceros birds, and up flew four or five of them
from the brute's back, where they had been comfortably employed in
catching tics. Now this performance on the part of the birds is to a
rhinoceros what the word 'cave' is to a schoolboy--it puts him on the
_qui vive_ at once. Before the birds were well in the air I saw the
grass stir.

"'Down you go,' I whispered to the boys, and as I did so the rhinoceros
got up and glared suspiciously around. But he could see nothing, indeed
if we had been standing up I doubt if he would have seen us at that
distance; so he merely gave two or three sniffs and then lay down, his
head still down wind, the birds once more settling on his back.

"But it was clear to me that he was sleeping with one eye open, being
generally in a suspicious and unchristian frame of mind, and that it
was useless to proceed further on this stalk, so we quietly withdrew
to consider the position and study the ground. The results were not
satisfactory. There was absolutely no cover about except the ant-heap,
which was some three hundred yards from the rhinoceros upon his up-wind
side. I knew that if I tried to stalk him in front I should fail, and so
I should if I attempted to do so from the further side--he or the birds
would see me; so I came to a conclusion: I would go to the ant-heap,
which would give him my wind, and instead of stalking him I would let
him stalk me. It was a bold step, and one which I should never advise a
hunter to take, but somehow I felt as though rhino and I must play the
hand out.

"I explained my intentions to the men, who both held up their arms in
horror. Their fears for my safety were a little mitigated, however, when
I told them that I did not expect them to come with me.

"Gobo breathed a prayer that I might not meet Fate walking about, and
the other one sincerely trusted that my spirit might look my way when
the rhinoceros charged, and then they both departed to a place of
safety.

"Taking my eight-bore, and half-a-dozen spare cartridges in my pocket,
I made a detour, and reaching the ant-heap in safety lay down. For a
moment the wind had dropped, but presently a gentle puff of air passed
over me, and blew on towards the rhinoceros. By the way, I wonder what
it is that smells so strong about a man? Is it his body or his breath?
I ha