xt A NIGHT AFTER HIPPO 139 
outspreading branch, and commenced our vigil. 
Soon the jungle around us began to be alive 
with its peculiar sounds—a night bird would call, 
a crocodile shut his jaws with a snap, or a rhino 
or hippo crash through the bushes on its way to 
the water: now and again we could even hear 
the distant roar of the lion. Still there was nothing 
to be seen. 
After waiting for some considerable time, a 
great hippo at last made his appearance and 
came splashing along in our direction, but unfor- 
tunately took up his position behind a tree which, 
in the most tantalising way, completely hid him 
from view. Here he stood tooting and snorting 
and splashing about to his heart’s content. For 
what seemed hours I watched for this ungainly 
creature to emerge from his covert, but as he 
seemed determined not to show himself I lost 
patience and made up my mind to go down after 
him. I therefore handed my rifle to Mahina to 
lower to me on reaching the ground, and began 
to descend carefully, holding on by the creepers 
which encircled the tree. To my intense vexation 
and disappointment, just as I was in this helpless 
condition, half-way to the ground, the great 
hippo suddenly came out from his shelter and 
calmly lumbered along right underneath me. | 
bitterly lamented my ill-luck and want of patience, 
