Harry and I admitted that Jack's effort at boat-building was highly successful, and we could see no reason why it would not serve a good purpose in hunting hippopotami.
"I got the idea of this craft," said Jack, "up among the natives of the Arctic circle. They make boats of walrus-hide, and sometimes of reindeer-skin, in just this way: they build a framework and fasten the skins around it. You have to be very particular in moving around in one of their boats, and always step on one of the timbers; never let your feet rest entirely on the hide that forms the cover, or you may make a hole through it. There's no danger of any mishap of that kind with this tough old buffalo-skin, except at the places where it is sewn together; but it will be well to observe the same rule with this craft as with those I have mentioned."
In the afternoon we got our Kafirs together—a dozen of them—and transported the boat to the river. We had previously made some paddles out of pieces of board, and the boat was also provided with two long poles for propelling it in shallow places. It floated like a duck on the water, and we all felt proud of Jack's achievement. We took along several hippopotamus-spears, together with our rifles, and it was decided that two of us in the boat, with two natives to paddle it, would be as large a crew as she could easily sustain. The plan was to launch the boat some distance up the river, while I took my station on the bank, sitting down on a pile of reeds, and waiting for a shot at the first hippo that came along. The rest of the party moved slowly up along the river-bank, the Kafirs carrying the boat, and Jack and Harry preceding them to indicate the spot where they would launch out upon the waters.
It was very quiet sitting there all by myself, and after a little while I felt the soothing effect of the stillness, and, leaning my head forward, fell asleep. I was sitting just at the edge of the river; my feet were not three inches from the water, and my cushion of reeds was a low one. I heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing until I was roused by the report of a rifle, seemingly close at hand.
Of course I was awake in an instant, and when I waked the water in front of me was whirling and churning violently, and there was a whirling and churning around my head, mingled with shouts from my friends, whose voices I recognized. They came paddling rapidly toward me with the boat, and I could see that both of them were in a state of great excitement.
MY ESCAPE FROM THE CROCODILES.
"You've had a narrow escape from a horrible death!" said Jack, as the boat touched the bank and he sprang ashore.
"Why, what's the matter?" said I.