ii2 THE MAMMALS OF ETHIOPIAN AFRICA 



islands, among which were a number of hippopotamuses, including an old male 



and several females and their young. One young animal stood like an ugly little 



statue on the rocks above the water, while another had taken up its station on the 



back of its mother. Two hunters crept within distance, moving quietly towards 



the spot where the river-horses were sunning themselves, or swimming in the 



centre of the pool. The hunters swam quietly and swiftly down the stream, and 



on nearing the rocks dived, to appear a few seconds later close to where the young 



hippopotamus stood. At the same moment that the animal entered into the water 



the hunters threw their harpoons, and, diving once more, swam some distance 



under water and hastened to the bank. One of the harpoons missed, but the second 



struck the male of the herd, and the wounded animal rose snorting to the surface. 



As the float attached to the harpoon was unusually large and naturally followed 



all the movements of the animal, the latter endeavoured to avoid its pursuers and 



dived constantly, but whenever it appeared above water it saw its pursuers close 



at hand. The hunters were very excited and called to their companions, who were 



not far distant. These brought long ropes, and the party made a halt on the bank 



of the river, while two men swam across with one end of the rope. When they 



reached the farther bank, the principal rope was fastened to another, so that those 



on the one side held the ends of two cords, while those on the other side held only 



one, the connecting point of both forming a sharp angle. On one side two men 



held a rope, one being about ten yards in advance of the other ; and on both sides 



they began to move, dragging the rope out of the water after them until they came 



to the float, which was flying hither and thither following the motion of the animal. 



With the aid of a well-timed jerk of the rope, the float was brought into the sharp 



angle and fastened there, and while the men on the other bank slipped their end 



of the rope, the others pulled on the float, which was jammed in between the two 



ropes. The hippopotamus sprang out of the water, gnashing its teeth, snorting 



furiously and lashing the water into foam. It then dived and swam under water 



towards the men, when instantly the slack line was tightened and twisted round 



a huge block not far distant from the bank. The animal came once more to the 



surface about ten yards in front of the hunters, snapping its jaws together and 



seeking to break the rope, when it received two harpoons in the side. Leaving the 



water, it reached dry ground, hauled itself up on the bank and boldly made for 



the hunters, who thrust into its body half a dozen spears, some of which entered 



the jaws. At the same time sand was thrown into its eyes, which did more harm 



than the spears, the shafts of which were crushed like reeds ; the sand, however, 



conquered the beast, which turned back, shaking its head, into the river. During 



this onslaught on land two of the hunters had seized the cord attached to the 



harpoons which had been thrown before the attack, and the unfortunate animal 



was now held by three harpoons, one of the ropes having given way, after bein, 



bitten through by the furious animal while under water. Once more the monster 



appeared on land and made, without hesitating an instant, another furious attack, 



rushing with its mouth wide open on the hunters, one of whom sprang forward 



and thrust a spear into its head without any result, while another rushed up with a 



sword which made only a harmless slit in the hide. Once more sand was thrown 



in the animal's eyes, and once more it was so blinded that it was forced to retire 



s 



