ALARMED BY ALLIGATORS. 49 



first shot had gone clean through the back part of 

 both shoulder blades ; and the second, also passing 

 through the body, was lodged on the same level, but 

 about four inches further back. Close by lay the bush- 

 bock, still warm, the proprietor of a fine pair of horns. 

 This was certainly an unexpected piece of luck. 



Shortly after this affair, leaving camp with about 

 fifty natives, we directed our course first to the hip- 

 popotamus. On arriving at the spot we found him 

 just as I had left him, except that a huge alligator 

 lay on the carcass, and several others occasionally 

 showed their heads above water. A few shots drove 

 these brutes away, but nothing would induce one of 

 the natives to enter the river. At last one of the 

 Makololos and myself made an attempt, but we found 

 there was a deep channel of the river between us and 

 the bank on which the river horse lay ; and when we 

 were up to our arms in water, some of the men on 

 the bank sung out that there were two alligators close 

 to the carcass. The Makololo was out like a shot, 

 and I was not far behind him. I now saw that there 

 was no likelihood of getting this bull's fine head. If 

 we had had a boat or a canoe it would have been an 

 easy job, but situated as we were, there was nothing 

 for it but to leave him there for those ugly harrl- 

 backed monsters who were swimming around him. 

 It is a curious fact that whenever I have killed any 

 game in the water, the alligators have been attracted 

 to the spot within a few minutes, coming both up and 

 down stream — a circumstance which I have noticed 

 on several occasions. Though I was very sorry to 

 have to leave this fine beast behind, I don't think I 



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