248 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



miles, just as the sun was going down, and as I entered a dense 

 reed cover, I came upon the fresh lairs of four hippopotami. 

 They had' been lying sleeping on the margin of the river, and, on 

 hearing me come crackling through the reeds, had plunged into the 

 deep water. I at once ascertained they were newly started, for 

 the froth and bubbles were still on the spot where they had 

 plunged in. Next moment I heard them blowing a little way 

 down the river. I then headed them, and with considerable dif- 

 ficulty, owing to the cover and the reeds, at length came right 

 down above .where they were standing. It was a broad part of 

 the river, with a sandy bottom, and the water came half way up 

 their sides. There were four of them, three cows and an old bull ; 

 they stood in the middle of the river, and, though alarmed, did 

 not appear aware of the extent of the impending danger. 



I took the sea-cow next me, and with my first ball I gave her 

 a mortal wound, knocking loose a great plate on the top of her 

 ;skull. She at once commenced plunging round and round, and 

 then occasionally remained still, sitting for a few minutes on 

 the same spot. On hearing the report of my rifle two of the 

 others took up stream, and the fourth dashed down the river; 

 they trotted along, like oxen, at a smart pace, as long as the water 

 was shallow. I was now in a state of very great anxiety about my 

 wounded sea-cow, for I feared that she would get into deep water, 

 and be lost like the last one ; her struggles were still carrying her 

 down stream, and the water was becoming deeper. To settle the 

 matter, I accordingly fired a second shot from the bank, which 

 entering the roof of her skull, passed out through her eye ; she 

 then kept continually splashing round and round in a circle in the 

 middle of the river. I had great fears of the crocodiles, and did not 

 know that the sea-cow might not attack me. My anxiety to secure 

 her, however, overcame all hesitation ; so, divesting myself of my 

 leathers, and armed with a sharp knife, I dashed into the water 

 which at first took me up to my arm-pits, but in the middle was 

 shallower. 



As I approached Behemoth, her eye looked very wicked. 1 

 Milted for a moment ready to dive under the water if she attacked 



