266 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



of the big hippo was about to pass the boat; suddenly 

 the waters opened close at hand and a monstrous head ap- 

 peared. "Shoot," said Cuninghame; and I fired into the 

 back of the head just as it disappeared. It sank out of sight 

 without a splash, almost without a ripple, the lily pads 

 ceased twisting; a few bubbles of air rose to the surface; 

 evidently the hippo lay dead underneath. Poling to the 

 spot, we at once felt the huge body with our oar blades. 

 But, alas, when the launch came round, and we raised the 

 body, it proved to be that of a big cow. 



So I left Cuninghame to cut off the head for the museum, 

 and started off by myself in the boat with two rowers, 

 neither of whom spoke a word of English. For an hour 

 we saw only the teeming bird life. Then, in a broad, shal- 

 low lagoon, we made out a dozen hippo, two or three very 

 big. Cautiously we approached them, and when seventy 

 yards off I fired at the base of the ear of one of the largest. 

 Down went every head, and utter calm succeeded. I 

 had marked the spot where the one at which I shot had 

 disappeared, and thither we rowed. When we reached the 

 place, I told one of the rowers to thrust a pole down and see 

 if he could touch the dead body. He thrust according, and 

 at once shouted that he had found the hippo; in another 

 moment his face altered, and he shouted much more loudly 

 that the hippo was alive. Sure enough, bump went the 

 hippo against the bottom of the boat, the jar causing us 

 all to sit suddenly down for we were standing. Another 

 bump showed that we had again been struck; and the shal- 

 low, muddy water boiled, as the huge beasts, above and 

 below the surface, scattered every which way. Their eyes 

 starting, the two rowers began to back water out of the 

 dangerous neighborhood, while I shot at an animal whose 

 head appeared to my left, as it made off with frantic haste; 

 for I took it for granted that the hippo at which I had 

 first fired (and which was really dead) had escaped. This 

 one disappeared as usual, and I had not the slightest idea 

 whether or not I had killed it. I had small opportunity to 



