132 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



them. At that time they were not feeding, but ap- 

 peared to be enjoying a sun-bath. As the wind was 

 then blowing from them toward us, we hoped they 

 would come to the river to drink, thereby giving us 

 an opportunity for a shot. In this we were disap- 

 pointed. All that day and the next succeeding we 

 plodded over this elephant trail, always but a short 

 distance from the river bank. 



Shortly after we left camp a hippopotamus, disturbed 

 by our approach, suddenly emerged from the tall grass 

 and plunged into the river, crossing our path not more 

 than four feet in front of where I stood. Although my 

 men wished me to shoot him, I refrained from so doing, 

 and amused myself in watching his furious antics in 

 the water, which at this point was so shallow that he 

 could not conceal his body beneath the surface. Like 

 the ostrich, he endeavoured to conceal his head, but the 

 shouts of the porters so terrified him that he raised it 

 again, and splashed along by the side of the caravan, 

 every now and then opening his cavernous mouth and 

 then bringing his jaws together with a vicious snap. 

 At length he reached a deeper portion of the river, 

 into which he plunged and disappeared. 



Many times during the morning we heard the snort 

 of rhinoceroses in the tall grass on our left, and at 

 length, toward noon, we heard a violent snort not more 

 than forty feet distant. In a moment we heard the dull 

 thud of his feet, but the grass was so high and thick 

 that we could catch no glimpse of the animal, yet all 

 the time knew he was cominsf in our direction. Soon 

 he reached the trail at a point about twenty feet behind 

 where I stood. I had my rifle ready, but could not 



