XXII AN INTERESTING SCENE 485 



feeders than either vultures or hyaenas. This is not 

 an isolated case, as they are constantly in the habit of 

 eating putrid meat, and there is little doubt that they 

 like it just as well as, it not better than, good, sweet 

 flesh ; curiously, too, it does not seem to do them 

 any harm. 



It was on the second day after we had turned our 

 faces homewards, as we were following the course 

 of the river, that we heard a hippopotamus blow in 

 the pool below us, from which we were separated by 

 a narrow strip ot bush. Making our way through 

 this and climbing down the steep bank, we beheld a 

 scene interesting at once both to the sportsman and 

 to the naturalist. 



Upon a spit of white sand which jutted into the 

 pool from the opposite bank, stood, high and dry, a 

 herd of at least twenty hippopotami, their huge, 

 bulky carcases looking, as they all stood huddled 

 together, like so many great black rocks. Exactly 

 opposite to us, motionless as a statue, with ears 

 pricked and gaze fixed intently upon us, stood a 

 noble old waterbuck bull, poised upon a ledge of 

 rock overhanging the water. From just below our 

 feet a skein of about a dozen of the handsome 

 Egyptian geese winged their way across the deep-blue 

 pool, whilst a pair of the large white-headed fish 

 eagles wheeled in rapid circles above the whole scene. 

 The waterbuck soon made up his mind that we were 

 dangerous neighbours, and climbing the steep bank 

 above him quickly disappeared amongst the bushes. 

 The hippopotami, however, though we were in full 

 view and only about 2 50 yards from them, did not seem 

 to notice us, but stood quite motionless and apparently 

 asleep, except that now and then one would move 

 his enormous head slowly to the one side or the 



