222 AN ALLIGATOR SHOT. 



I walked quietly up the banks of the Imvoti for nearly 

 three miles, but saw no signs of Hippo himself, although 

 the spoor was very plentiful. The day was very hot, and, 

 seeking a shady tree, whose branches overhung the 

 stream, I sought shelter from the sun's rays and rest for 

 my legs. I was soon interested in watching a colony of 

 the pretty little yellow orioles, which were building their 

 nests in the trees near the river. They had selected 

 those branches that were pliant and overhung the stream, 

 a little additional weight on which would have lowered 

 them into the water; they were thus secure from the 

 depredations of birdsnesting monkeys, whose egg-hunting 

 attempts might have resulted in a ducking. These birds 

 seemed to be excellent weavers, and knit the grass in the 

 most ingenious way. Their nests were made in the shape 

 of a glass retort, the necks pointing downwards. 



Upon casting my eyes on the water below the tree near 

 which I was sitting, I saw a small black snout just above 

 the water : it was perfectly still, not a ripple showing 

 that it possessed life. Watching it attentively for a few 

 moments, I saw it begin slowly to rise, and then recog- 

 nized the head of an alligator : aiming between the eyes, 

 I lodged a bullet there, which struck with a crash. The 

 alligator sank instantly, but I could see that the water was 

 agitated, as though the monster were having a tussle for 

 his life among the mud and reeds below the surface. I kept 

 a sharp look-out at different shallow parts near the pool, 

 but could not see him rise anywhere. After waiting 

 for some time, I returned to Inkau's kraal, which I 

 reached just before dark. A party went the next day on 



