2io After Big Game in Central Africa 



When within ten yards, hidden by reeds, we rise 

 slowly and look at the animals. One of them is 

 awake ; it moves its measly eyelids ; and its little eyes, 

 turned towards us, blink. ... I select the oldest male, 

 which sleeps well in profile in the middle of the group, 

 as though, before going to sleep, he had told them 

 some story of mediocre interest, and when I fire my 

 men deploy with much noise to drive the hippopotami 

 in the direction of the land. All but one rise like a 

 single animal, and while two of them come to meet 

 us, two others make off to the right along the sand- 

 bank. The one which remains, the old one, struggles 

 on the ground with a shattered shoulder. I finish it 

 off afterwards by putting a bullet in its head with the 

 303. 



Seeing the two hippopotami making towards us, 

 my men fire at them ; but this provocation only in- 

 creases their rage, and they open their enormous red 

 mouths, armed with gigantic teeth, mouths the lower 

 jaw of which seems as big as the cot of a ten-year-old 

 child, and from the depths issue formidable roars. 

 Increasing their pace they continue to proceed straight 

 upon us. But my men and I, without thinking of 

 playing at this improvised jeu de tonneau, quickly 

 make off, while the other two hippopotami, which have 

 skirted the bank, enter the water down stream with 

 loud plumps. In less time than it takes to say so, 

 these pachydermita have gone one hundred yards, and 

 have disappeared in the deep, protecting waters of 

 the Aroangvva. 



You cannot imagine how quick these massive 



