322 PURSUIT OF HIPPOPOTAMI. 



me, and turning away, made a long circuit, trying 

 another spot. I was there as soon as they, but again 

 they got wind of me, and walked along the beach. 

 Running on a couple of hundred yards, so as to turn 

 a point where - the wind"^Avould be more favourable, 

 I soon had the satisfaction of seeing them walk in 

 straight towards me. It was 'almost dark, the moon 

 which had hitherto been shining brightly becoming 

 obscured with a thick cloud. On they came, the 

 largest, evidently a bull, leading. I lay down 

 close to the water, determined not to fire until 

 the beast rubbed his nose against the muzzle of the 

 gun. I could see nothing but a huge black mass, now 

 almost on me. It was so dark that I could not at 

 all discern the head, but when the animal was 

 within a yard of me, I fired, judging as well as I could 

 where it" might be, and a shout of triumph pealed 

 through the air as he rolled over. The second 

 turned to bolt, receiving the other barrel somewhere 

 in the body; but the shot seemed to take little or no 

 effect. The other gun was then placed in my hands 

 by a man who was with me, and, running close along- 

 side the retreating monster, up to my knees in' water, 

 I discharged both barrels close behind the shoulder ; 

 but, to my dismay, they only staggered him, and he 

 escaped into deep water ere I had time to re-load. 

 If I had but had the light that shone a few minutes be- 

 fore, I could have easily killed him with a single shot 

 in the- brain. My attention being drawn to the 

 other, which had regained his legs, and was flounder- 

 ing about, I quickly re-loaded the breechloader, 

 Rigby 10, and going close up to him, fired both into 



