THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 127 



covered his face with his pocket-handkerchief, and, half 

 asleep, was philosophising on the boldness of three 

 frail individuals awaiting " the behemoth of the 

 prophet Job," and on the impudence of the insects 

 which were attacking such heroes. 



Suddenly, a hippopotamus came out of the river 

 with the swiftness of an arrow, and dashed into the 

 path, uttering a horrible cry. " Hcer Jesus!" cries 

 the farmer, firing off his gun ; at the roar of the 

 beast the European and the colonist's son-in-law fled. 

 Span-man himself had not heard the shot, nor had he 

 seen the beast, or rather, in the darkness he mistook 

 him for a waterspout, caused by a sudden overflow of 

 the river. He threw down his gun, abandoned his 

 two companions, and rushed desperately to a point high 

 enough to escape the water, knocking himself uselessly 

 against the bluff bank of the river. Astonished that he 

 was not submerged, he asked himself if it was not all a 

 dream? He ran to the farmer's son, whom he found 

 asleep with his fists closed, and snoring lustily, and 

 then to the father, who, entangled in a blanket with 

 which he had enveloped his limbs, was tremblingly en- 

 deavouring to disengage himself. "What direction has 

 the flood taken?" asked Sparrman. He stood speechless 

 for a short time. "Are you become a fool ?" he said at 

 last. Sparrman retorted. In fact he was not con- 

 vinced of his error until he saw that the farmer's gun 



