216 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



ment, I hit it at the base of the ear, a brain shot which 

 dropped it in its tracks. Meanwhile Kermit was busily tak- 

 ing photos of it as it charged, and, as he mentioned after- 

 ward, until it was dead he never saw it except in the "find- 

 er" of his camera. The water was so shallow where I had 

 killed the hippo that its body projected slightly above the 

 surface. It was the hardest kind of work getting it out from 

 among the water-lilies; then we towed it to camp behind 

 the launch. 



The engineer of the launch was an Indian Moslem. 

 The fireman and the steersman were two half-naked and 

 much-ornamented Kikuyus. The fireman wore a blue bead 

 chain on one ankle, a brass armlet on the opposite arm, 

 a belt of short steel chains, a dingy blanket (no loin cloth), 

 and a skull cap surmounted by a plume of ostrich feathers. 

 The two Kikuyus were unconsciously entertaining com- 

 panions. Without any warning they would suddenly start 

 a song or chant, usually an impromptu recitative of what- 

 ever at the moment interested them. They chanted for 

 half an hour over the feat of the "B'wana Makuba" (great 

 master or chief, my name) in killing the hippo; laying 

 especial stress upon the quantity of excellent meat it would 

 furnish, and how very good the eating would be. Usually 

 one would improvise the chant, and the other join in the 

 chorus. Sometimes they would solemnly sing compli- 

 mentary songs to one another, each in turn chanting the 

 manifold good qualities of his companion. 



Around this camp were many birds. The most note- 

 worthy was a handsome gray eagle owl, bigger than our 

 great horned owl, to which it is closely akin. It did not 

 hoot or scream, its voice being a kind of grunt, followed in 



