10, and we made a circuit so as to obtain the wind, and to
arrive upon the lee side of the rhinoceros. This was quickly
accomplished, but upon arrival at the spot, he was gone. The
black ashes of the recent fire showed his, foot-marks as clearly
as though printed in ink, and as these were very close together,
I knew that he had walked slowly off, and that he had not been
disturbed, otherwise he would have started quickly. He had gone
down wind; it would, therefore, be impossible to follow upon his
tracks. Our only resource was to make another circuit, when,
should his tracks not have crossed the arc, we should be sure
that he was to windward. Accordingly, we described half a circle
of about five hundred yards. No tracks had crossed our path; the
ground was stony and full of hollows, in which grew a few
scattered mimosas, while the surface of the earth was covered in
many places with dark brown masses of basalt rock. We carefully
stepped over this uneven ground, lest some falling stone might
give the alarm, and we momentarily expected to be in view of the
enemy as we arrived at the edge of each successive hollow. Sure
enough, as I glanced down a sudden inclination covered with
scorched mimosas, I perceived him standing on the slope beneath
a tree within five-and-thirty paces; this was close enough, and
I took a steady shot behind the shoulder.
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