324 THE CRASH OF SPLINTERING WOOD. 



Bob remained seated in the stern, but he was equally prepared with his effective 

 weapon in case of need. 



As I have stated, the Bushman, in propelling the dug-out, faced the front, thus 

 increasing the similarity of his action to that of an American Indian approaching a 

 hostile camp by night in his canoe. He was accustomed to using his eyes in the 

 gloom, and yet his vision was not equal to that of the Hottentot, for it was the 

 latter who first caught sight of the cause of the disturbance in front. 



" 'Tis the beast we dread ! " was his startling exclamation, uttered in a whisper 

 which all heard. 



Pongo had now also detected it, and whispered: 



" Speak not no noise make ! " 



No one stirred a muscle, for the action of the hippopotamus led them to hope 

 she had not observed them. The boys dimly saw the outlines of a vast square 

 -snout gliding down stream, at right angles to the course the craft were pursuing. 

 She was not approaching, but it was the slight onward motion of the craft them- 

 selves that was taking them closer to her. 



How every one wished that the boat and raft would stop, but they dared not 

 put forth the necessary effort, for that would have attracted the notice of their 

 nemy and precipitated the attack she was eager to make upon any animate thing. 



Just at the moment the enormous head was vanishing in the gloom, a slight 

 splash was heard, and it sank out of sight. 



It was impossible to tell what this movement meant, for the hippopotamus, like 

 all animals, is often controlled by whims, and she may have been tired of swim- 

 ming. If such was the fact, she could walk a while on the muddy bottom until 

 compelled to come to the surface for air. 



Not one of the four moved or spoke. Everything was so dependent upon abso- 

 lute stillness that the utmost precaution was taken by all. The Bushman sat 

 crouched in the front of the dug-out with his paddle in air, ready to drive the boat 

 forward or backward, as the exigency might demand. Half of the pole in the hand 

 of Diedrick was submerged, and, as that and the raft were floating with the current, 

 not the slightest ripple was produced. 



All of us know how slowly time drags when we are waiting, and to the anxious 

 group the minutes seemed ten-fold their real duration. But with each passing 

 moment hope increased, for it lessened the chances of the behemoth rising any- 

 where near them. 



It seemed to all that fully a half hour had elapsed, when in reality no more 

 than a third of that period had gone by, a space during which the river-horse can 

 stay under water without inconvenience. 



Suddenly a faint splash broke the stillness. It was in the direction of the shore 

 toward which they were laboring, and was so far off that it was impossible to toil 

 what produced it. 



" It is the hippopotamus," said Dick; " lucky indeed it was that she swam by 

 without seeing us." 



