The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-03-25

iron into back as broad as that of a
whale calf, and was shouting
''Starn all Starn all Back water, my
boys p
"a the boat sSot back and the line ran
out, the monster that | had harpooned
made desperate plunges to reach US. AS
it rolled and tossed about in It's agony
and surprise, l saw enough Of it to know
that we had fixed a hippopotamus.
Giving succession of savage roars,
and vainly trying to grasp the firmly
holding iron with its tremendous teeth,
the wounded beast sank down in the
muddy water, here only a couple of
fathOms deep. Then the air-bubbles ris-
ing TO the surface as he breathed, together
with the long crimson track as he bled,
showed Us exactly the course that he was
taking, and this was direct for his compaI :
ions sporting together in shore.
Our prey went at great speed, con-
sidering his p1nderous build, and we
were compelled TO follow, or cut the line
the last thing l thought of 80, in a
very few moments we found ourselves
right i'll the midst of the herd of hippo
Potami, whose huge, unshapely heads
were rising all around, willis. the wicked
glitter of their savage looking little eyes
seemed concentrated upon US with looks
of wonder, fury and surprise.
Jnst then, unable to stay beneath the
surface any longer, the wounded monster
rose TO breathe, and then turned upon US
with a terrific roar.
"Starn all Starn all for your lives !"
| shouted.
The tough ash oars urged ia clear Of
the savage brue's charge, but then the
boat steerer cried
''Hold on. sir. Hold water, Here's
halt-a~dozen Nv 'em astarn coming right
for rs"
'TIoId water, every man :" l roared;
then, espying clear course 10 the right,
continued. .ePuII the port oars. So
Now give way of all; give way, my
lads Pull for your lives - And l
was paying out line all the time.
Bat up from the murky water rose two
of the brutes, one on either side, only
few feet distant, and with huge distended
jaws they rushed upon Us.
Sna;ching mp one Of the boat-axes,
whilst Long Tom left his steering oar TO
the next man, AMI similarly armed him
self. | sprang 70 where one of the hippo
potami was almost touching the gunneI,
and then, with all my strength, dashed
the keen axe blade into his fiat black
nose. With a roar louder than that of a
dozen wild bulls of Madagascar, the mon
ster vanished, spouting blood. Long
Tom had also succeeded in driving off It's
companion, though not before the latter
had made a great rent in the side of the
boat, and had also very nearly capsized
her a shudder ran through rs at our
narrow escape-we had not time for
more.
The rest of the shoal had now come
up. and were making the foam fly in
every direction as they dashed through
the water TO attack US.
1t IVES a terribly critical moment :
We could no longer escape by rowing,
for the monsters were all around. If
once they should succeed in overturning
our frail boat, we would assurediy perish
horribly amongst them; their cleaning
great tusks and wide gaping jaws would
pi'ilessly rend AMI tear US limb from
limb.
Very fortunately, it suddenly occurred
to me that had read somewhere Of hip
popotami being frightened at the noise of
firearms, though well knew that their
amazingly tough skins were quite proof
against ordinary spherical leadcn bullets.
Pick up your muskets-be quick, my
lads | cried, acting u2oa the inspira-
tion. "Let each map choose an object
then fire all together"
just as the fierce little pig>likc eyes
were glaring close upon us. and the terri
ble white fanSs were glistening in close
proximity, the loud roar of our volley
echoed across the wafer, and then the
suEphureous smoke- wreaths Ind the plung-
ing monsters from our sight. At the
same instant, however, one enormous
beast reared It's vast body half ont of the
sea, and every man shuJdered as he ex-
pected il would dash our weak boat to
atoms but, at the fash and noise of onr
guns it fell back, though, even in doing
SO, it nearly capsized US, and half filed
our little craft with water When the
smoke cleared away, our formidable pur
suers had disappeared. After moment
ary pause in thankfulness at our marvel>
ously narrow escape, the whaling spirit
returned, aud | said
s'Pass me a lance. Long Tom, and
we'll settle the fallow we're fast to, any
how Give way, my hearties, and let
the two bow hands haul in the line
Proceeding thus. we soon came up
with the wounded beast. Then for n
moment poising tie bright lance over my
right shoulder, sent it deep into the heart
of our unwieldy victim. With few tre-
mendous roars, and after last desperate
struggle to reach us, the strange amphib-
ious creature went into its s'furry" AT,
ter sinking for few moments, it once
more rose to the surface, and, like dead
whale, fioated on It's side.