THE mPPOPOTA-AIUS 81 



again. It was, of coxirse, a pity none of us had 

 noticed the little creature before, as, had we done 

 so, the mother's life might have been spared — ^if, 

 that is, she had dropped her unpleasantly ag- 

 gressive tactics ; but there it was, and so we made 

 up OUT minds at all hazards to catch it. First 

 of all, the mother's body had to be dragged as 

 high up on a neighbouring sandbank as eight 

 lusty arms could move it — and that, needless to 

 say, was not very fax ; but the manoeuvre was so 

 far successful that the calf, which was about the 

 size of a full-grown pig, at once drew near to its 

 unconscious parent. My head boatman then 

 essayed the capture, followed half-heartedly by 

 the remainder of the crew. He succeeded in 

 getting hold of one of the Little beast's hind legs ; 

 there was a momentary struggle, and both the 

 combatants gallantly took the water — ^the calf to 

 make its escape, and the boatman impelled by the 

 momentum it administered to him. Some time 

 elapsed before the Httle creature again came forth . 

 and, in the meantime, the receding tide had ex- 

 posed considerably more of the parent's carcass ; 

 so another attempt was made by several of us 

 together, and again, after an irresistible scatter- 

 ing, he sought safety in the water. Dxu-ing the 

 interval which now ensued we had leisure to 

 concert somewhat different tactics, and when the 

 favourable moment again presented itself, the 

 boatmen en masse precipitated themselves upon 

 their quarrj* and bore it down by sheer weight of 

 nimibers, whilst I roped it up with the mainsail 

 sheet. 



