ELMEXTEITA IX FEBRUARY 139 



After the shot, stillness reigned as before. There 

 was no sio-n of a charo'e, no crash of a fallino- or a flyiuo^ 

 foe — only silence, presently broken by my brother 

 asking from behind. "' What's happened ? " A few yards 

 ahead, we found thick bush, impenetrable ; so, leaving 

 a handkerchief to mark the exact sj)ot, we resumed 

 our course, intendiuo- to return bv davlio^ht. Little 

 recked we that lono; before that dav should break we 

 were destined to hear that terrible snort once more — 

 but crasfiige qiicerere. 



The hippos, we ascertained, had recently been 

 disturbed at this point, which explained their shyness in 

 approaching the waters of Karriendoos. AVe therefore 

 changed our tactics and decided to attack them by night, 

 when they come ashore to feed far and wide on the 

 grassy veld. The moon being just past the full, 

 favoured this enterprise, and we gave orders for a start 

 at 2.30 a.m. next morning. It was, however, but a 

 little after midnight that we were aroused by the night- 

 watchmen, who excitedly stated that there w^as already 

 a hippo within sight of the camp. This, on turning out 

 in pyjamas, we at once verified for ourselves. There, 

 not 300 yards away on the open prairie, the great 

 pachyderm was plainly visible in the bright moon- 

 rays. Pulling on coats and camp-shoes, we were 

 ready for action and away within thii'ty seconds. The 

 intruder deigned no sign of notice, and soon we had 

 slipped in to what looked well within fifty yards, at 

 which point I whispered " That's near enough ; let's 

 stop to fire," and had already dropped down in order to 

 rest the '450 on my knee, when our huge opponent at 

 last detected us. Again that terrible hissing snort, and 

 in a moment he had turned upon us." I could not rise, 

 so fired both my barrels, my brother (who remained on 

 foot) only one, realising that we were caught and re- 

 servino- his second for contino-encies. On reachino- back 



o o o 



for my second gun, I found that the valiant Mabruki 

 had o'one — he was already fifty yards a way camp ward. 

 But no second gun was needed. So far as one could 



