07

A HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT

II

1. For fully three minutes Jali stood thus gazing into the clear water. Then his arm quivered slightly, and although the surface of the water was still unbroken, the spear descended like lightning into the pool. In a moment an enormous pair of jaws appeared, wide open, and then the ungainly head of the furious hippopotamus, as he sprang half out of the water and dashed across the pool. And the hunter! His wet foot slipping on the wet rock, he had plunged forward headforemost as the animal rose, narrowly missing its jaws, and had disappeared under the waters of the pool.

2. We rushed down to the rock, but could see neither man nor hippopotamus. Presently the huge head of the latter reappeared far out in the current. Furious with pain and rage, the wounded animal was fighting his waywith powerful strokes to the shallows farther down the bank.

3. “Poor Jali! he is gone, ” said the sheik, anxiously peering in all directions over the blood-stained water

“Well, let us go after the wounded animal.” Leading the way, he ran quickly down the bank of the river to where the hippopotamus had struck the shallows and was ploughing his way to land, sending up showers of spray into the air as his ungainly form galloped though the shallow stream.

4. Suddenly he seemed to catch sight of the float bobbing behind him, and he immediately turned to attack it. Then two men, carrying a long rope, plunged out into the current and drifted until one was well past the animal. As soon as they got him midway between them, the two men made their way ashore, sweeping the rope along until they caught the float in its loop.Then all the Arabs seized the rope, and slowly drew the animal to shore.

5. As long as he was in the water, the hippopotamus seemed not to notice the crowd pulling at him, and ploughed along in a vain effort to reach the floatwhich was dancing in front. But as soon as he reached the land, a change came over him. For a moment he stood at bay ; then, regardless of his wound, he charged straight at us, his irresistible rush carrying to the ground nearly every one who was hauling at the rope. Woe betide the man who was not swift in regaining his feet! But the natives are as active as cats. They scattered in all directions, not running away, but passing behind or to one side of the animal, diverting his attention and breaking his charge; while those nearest the ends of the rope got a fresh purchase by passing it round a rock and bringing the animal up with a round turn.

SPEARING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

6. Now two hunters attacked him, one on each side. The animal charged one of the hunters, who immediately fled; but the other attacked him with his spear as he passed. Charge after charge he made, snapping the spear-shafts like reeds, and biting one of the ropes in two, until the son of the sheik, taking a tried spear in his hand, went to meet him singlehanded. The hippopotamus rushed blindly at him. The hunter jumped warily to one side to avoid the rush; then, as the rope caused the animal to swerve round, the young man ran up and pierced him to the heart.

7. As soon as the excitement had subsided, the sheik with a small party went to see if the body of Jali could be seen in the clear water, and recovered. We saw nothing except the loose shaft of the spear floating near the outlet of the pool. I felt thoroughly sorry for the fine old hunter; but nothing could be done, and we turned to go. But what was that？ Where did that chuckling laugh come from？ Lying down on the wall of rock, and peering over its side, we saw old Jali hanging to a projection below, quietly laughing to himnone at our gloomy looks.

8. We pulled the old man up, and found him uninjured, but very weak and tired. He told us that when he fell he had enough presence of mind to turn over beneath the water and dive back close to the rock, where he remained submerged as long as he could.He knew that to keep under was his only chance of safety. The animal, not seeing him, made for the open river. Then Jali got his head out of the water, and quietly rested, not venturing to scale the rock until we came back to look for him.

9. On our return to the camp, I counted eight hippopotamuses that the Arabs had secured in less than three weeks. This would supply them with food for a very long time; and the hides, when transported to Kassala, would bring high prices.

WORD SPELLING

WORD EXERCISE

1. Make sentences showing the use of the words lightening and lightning .

2. Show the connection between the words drive, drift, and drove .

3. Give various meanings of the word bay, used as different parts of speech.