236 WILD ANIMALS. 



were always kept fixed in a row, loaded, and ready for action, 

 with bags of breech-loading ammunition on the same shelf. 



" The movements of the animal were so rapid, as he charged and 

 plunged alternately beneath the water in a cloud of foam and 

 wave, that it was impossible to aim correctly at the small but 

 fatal spot upon the head. 



" The moon was extremely bright, and presently, as he charged 

 straight for the diahbeeah, I stopped him with a No. 8 Reilly shell. 

 To my surprise, he soon recovered, and again commenced the 

 attack. 



" I fired shot after shot at him without apparent effect. The 

 diahbeeah rocked about upon the waves raised by the efforts of so 

 large an animal. The movement rendered the aim uncertain. At 

 length, apparently badly wounded, he retired to the high grass ; 

 there he lay by the bank, at about twenty-five yards' distance, 

 snorting and blowing. 



" I could not distinguish him, as merely the head was above 

 water, and this was concealed by the deep shadow thrown by the 

 high grass. Thinking that he would die, I went to bed; but 

 before this I took the precaution to arrange a white-paper sight 

 upon the muzzle of my rifle, without which night-shooting is very 

 uncertain. 



" We had fallen asleep ; but in half an hour we were awoke 

 by another tremendous splash, and once more this mad beast 

 came charging directly at us as though unhurt. In another 

 instant he was at the diahbeeah ; but I met him with a ball in the 

 top of his head, which sent him rolling over and over, sometimes 

 on his back, kicking with his four legs above the surface, and 

 again producing waves which rocked the diahbeeah. In this 

 helpless manner he rolled for about fifty yards down the stream, 

 and we all thought him killed. 



" To our amazement, he recovered, and we heard him splashing as 

 he moved slowly along the river through the high grass by the 

 left bank. There he remained snorting and blowing, and as the 

 light of the moon was of no service in the dark shadows of 

 the high grass, we waited for a considerable time, and then went 

 to bed, with a rifle placed in readiness on deck. 



