IX 



ANOTHER TREK HIPPO ANTS 



THE buffaloes here, though plentiful, proved too 

 canny, and it was deemed best to return to our 

 last camp, which had had a four days' rest. Having 

 reached my limit, save for congoni and zebras and carniv- 

 ora, I hunted with my second gun-bearer, the talent in 

 our expedition devoting themselves to rounding up and 

 locating buffalo. I hoped for lion, and saw two, way 

 out of possible range, with my horse and sais way in the 

 rear. The rains had been very heavy, and my fagged 

 horse could hardly have overtaken them had he been 

 immediately available. A good, fresh horse would have 

 made me thrice happy, as I found them in the midst of 

 an open country. I only saw them as they covered a 

 space of fifty yards, the long grass soon hiding them 

 from view. 



This was not a hippo country, but in default of any- 

 thing else I began hunting the river, knowing there were 

 a few about. A hippo has the best of ears, a keen nose, 

 and fairly good eyes. I ranged up-country about ten 

 miles, hoping for lion, leopard, or cheetah, and then 

 struck the river to hunt up-wind back to camp. I 

 finally heard the heavy breathing of a sleeping hippo as 

 he came to the surface of the pool at regular intervals 



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