After breakfast the next morning we went to the river, armed and equipped for hunting hippos. I remained on shore, as I had done at our last hunt, but with this difference: I did not sit down at the edge of the river and go to sleep where the crocodiles could have an easy chance at me, but kept along the bank of the stream, watching my friends in the boat, and for chances to assist them.
Below the spot where I came so near becoming the prey of the crocodiles, the river widened considerably, but was quite shallow. Harry and Jack, with two of the men and a supply of hippopotamus-spears, drifted silently upon the water, with their weapons in readiness. A large hippo came along, and his curiosity was excited by the strange object on the surface of the water. He paddled himself alongside, and when in a good position Harry darted a harpoon into his back. Of course the creature sank at once.
The boat was quickly paddled to the shore, the rope of hippopotamus-hide being paid out as it came along. Then the end of the rope was tossed to where I stood accompanied by a dozen Kafirs. I seized it instantly and passed it over to the men.
They hauled away like good fellows, keeping a steady pull on the rope, which gradually shortened, showing that the animal was being dragged along the bottom. By and by they brought him up so that he raised his head above the water and made a dash at us. I was ready for him, and with two or three well-planted bullets made an end of his onset. Then a rope was passed around the body of the beast, and he was hauled on shore for dissection.
We did not wait to dissect him then, however, but went on farther down the stream, well knowing that it was no use hunting any more in that immediate locality for that day at least. We went down fully half a mile, the boat drifting slowly with the current, or getting, now and then, a stroke or two from one of the paddles, which were handled very skilfully and silently. In due time another hippo was secured in the same way as the first, and brought to land. He was smaller than the other, and was despatched with a lance, and without the necessity of shooting. Consequently less disturbance was made, and we did not have to go so far to secure our next beast. We saw a good many crocodiles, but did not waste ammunition on them; they are of no earthly use to anybody—at least not to any white man. The natives eat their flesh, and would be very greatly pleased if we would slaughter a crocodile or two every day for their benefit.
And this reminds me that one day, just before sunset, I killed a crocodile on the river-bank, at least a hundred feet away from the water. He had gone up there in pursuit of some small animal, as crocodiles frequently do. I had a good chance at him, and killed him with an explosive bullet; he was dead as the proverbial door-nail, and when I reached camp I told the negroes about it, and suggested that they could go in the morning and bring away whatever they liked.
"No crocodile there to-morrow morning," said Mirogo.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Other crocodiles pull him into river," was the reply; "he no be there in morning."
Sure enough, when they went there next morning there was not a vestige of the saurian to be seen; his friends had come in the night and carried him away. Whether they were moved by affection to do so I am unable to say; certainly the crocodile is not credited with affectionate feelings—at least, not for any race other than his own. Crocodiles appear to live peacefully enough together, and they also get along with the hippos without any apparent trouble; but I fancy that many a young hippo finds a resting-place in the stomach of its scaly neighbors.