in. LONG-NOSE, LONG-NECK, AND STUMPY. 49 



ride ; and kindness will always win a maiden's heart 

 that is, so far as liking is concerned. How Stumpy 

 managed to ingratiate himself into her affections is a 

 problem I have not altogether satisfactorily solved. I 

 imagine that he must have accepted a bun with a heavy 

 sigh of gratitude and a well-meaning attempt at a smile 

 with those blubber lips of his. Our hearts are always 

 warmed to those who accept with gratitude be it never 

 so clumsy so long as it is genuine the favours we bestow 

 on them. 



Although he can be grateful for kindnesses from a bonny 

 lass, Stumpy can be a dreadfully savage fellow if put out. 

 He will charge a boat and knock a hole in its bottom, 

 or drive his tusks through the iron plate of a steamer, or 

 take a huge bite out of the side of a canoe. He can travel 

 a good pace, too, under water. Sir Samuel Baker's 

 steamer going ten knots an hour down stream only gained 

 upon one that was racing ahead of it when the engineer 

 put on full steam ! 



If you will watch the hippopotamus in his tank you 

 will see that when it needs a breath of fresh air it only 

 just raises the nostrils out of water and then sinks again 

 beneath the surface. It is from this habit difficult to 

 shoot these amphibious monsters unless you come upon 

 them unawares. And even if you do shoot them they 

 sink, and no one is much the gainer. The Arabs harpoon 

 them, swimming up to within a few yards of them, when 

 they are basking half asleep, hurling the harpoon home, 

 and then diving for the shore. To the harpoon is attached 

 a rope and float ; other ropes are then made fast to the 

 float, and a number of hunters haul the great beast 

 towards the shore, where they pierce him with their sharp 

 lances. Often he boldly challenges and rushes at his 

 foes and crushes their lances in the grip of his powerful 



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