THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 51 



apparently in his own opinion thus duly enforced his 

 authority as guardian of the pool, the great beast turned 

 and went slowly grumbling away, to be seen no more 

 that night. The camp was moved next day. 



The same animal had, a little after this occurrence, a 

 rather exciting evening with three lions. They must 

 have been very hungry, and they caught Wolhuter's 

 friend at some distance from the water. The noise was 

 deafening, and all the details of the struggle could be 

 distinctly heard at the camp, over half a mile distant. 

 In the morning it was clearly indicated how the hippo 

 had trudged along, until the water was reached, carrying 

 the lions on his back, or dragging them after him as 

 they made unavailing attempts to get their claws through 

 his skin : he had then plunged in, and one of the lions 

 had apparently fallen with him, to scramble out quickly, 

 doubtless glad to escape unharmed. There were no 

 blood marks, nor any sign of the hippo having been in 

 any way injured ; probably indeed, except in the shock 

 to his already none too amiable temper, he suffered little 

 inconvenience. Of course the lions must have been hard 

 driven before attempting to tackle so formidable a brute 

 as a bull hippopotamus, albeit out of his natural element : 

 one snap of his huge jaws would have sufficed to crush 

 the biggest of them into a pulp ; but no doubt they 

 relied on their agility, and his relative clumsiness on 

 land, to preserve them from harm. 



In following hippo paths through dense reeds or bush, 

 some vigilance should be exercised, as there is always 

 the chance of one of the animals being on shore : when, 

 if suddenly startled, he will rush headlong towards the 

 water, by the nearest path, in a manner distinctly em- 

 barrassing to any one .who happens to be in the way. 



A most delightful animal was " Sikabo " the young 



