They were after a lion, so did not look for other game.
They soon passed some zebra, and antelope, but left them alone.
The country was a dry, brown grassland, with few trees, and in
some places seems to have looked like our Western prairie. At noon
they sighted three rhinoceros, which they tried to avoid, as they
did not wish to shoot them. Of course, in such circumstances it is
necessary to do nothing to disturb the temper of the animals--
stupid, short-sighted beasts--or else in their anger or alarm,
they will blindly charge the hunter, who then is forced to shoot
to save himself from being tossed and gored on that great horn.
There was a hyena disturbing the other game, and as these are
savage nuisances, Mr. Roosevelt shot this one at three hundred and
fifty paces. While the porters were taking the skin, he could not
help laughing, he says, at finding their party in the center of a
great plain, stared at from all sides by enough wild animals to
stock a circus. Vultures were flying overhead. The three
rhinoceros were gazing at them, about half a mile away. Wildebeest
(sometimes called gnu) which look something like the American
buffalo or bison, and hartebeest, stood around in a ring, looking
on. Four or five antelope came in closer to see what was
happening, and a zebra trotted by, neighing and startling the
rhinoceros.
After a rest for luncheon, they went on, looking for lions.
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