The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-08

crocodile close at one side. nor in the
dim light did they observe the eyes
and nose Of two hippos preping ADORE
the water edge three or four yards out
from the bank Suddenly the croco-
die gave a powerful sweep with his
formidable tail. as resistless as though
made of spring steel. and hurled both
men, screaming in pain and horror,
directly in front of the lurking hippOs.
Before aid could reach the unfOrtu-
mates from the camp the hippOs drag
ged them. broken and torn, beneath
the turbid waters. To stamp their
bodies deep into the slime and mud.
Night. in fact. is invariably time Of
action in the neighborhOod of a hippo
wallowing place and native hunters
effect many killings and captures after
dark by the rude means they employ,
though personal conflict with so i'm
posing a foe is naturally avoided in
the blackneSs that obscures his body.
One of these native hippo Staying
agencies consists If a weighted spear,
often tipped with poison, which IS sus-
pended over a tree branch near the
animals tracks. The SuSpending cord
is attached to stakes fixed on either
side of the tracks The animal coming
along strikes the cord and the stakes
are uproOted. thus releasing the spear,
which strikes deculy into the body or
head of the hippo. This method is also
used at times in the Staying Of ele-
plants. Pitfalls, after the fashion in
India. are also used To secure hippos
and rhinoceroseS.
Through long dark tunnels forced
from the stream banks through reeds
and brush the hippos make their way
10 the land vegetation, free from OBJ
servation. and in these grewsome look
ing passagewayS the females frequent
ly retreat with their young to escape
danger
The female hippos utter loud snorts
and grunts when moving about, fear
some noises that can he heard a mile
off, though most Of the day they re
main practically quiet. sleeping and
yawning the time away on the waters
surface or standing stupidity In herds
on some sunny sand spit, with their
heads resting on one anothers backs
because of the excessive weight of
these hideous frontal "adornments.'
Thus the homily Of bearing one an
others burdens is not unknown to.
denizens Of jungle and mOrass.
. The same caution necessary in ele-
( plant hunting as regards getting to
windward of the animal. is required
in tracking hippos. While the elephant
can detect the presence of a human
being many hundreds Of yards away
merely by his scent it is doubtful If
this scent is 50 seenly developed In
the hippo There is one advantage
held by hippo purSuers which vet
Grams do not fail to put to good use
when necessary ! refer to the low
ness Of his eyes which makes it diff
cult to see objects at any appreciate
height. Consequently persons chased
! by one Of them sometimes escape by
climhin" a tree ard taking a carefully
aimed shot at him as he goes lumber
ing by. Owing to this same peculiar
~ hll'l''N " III l''lF'N ~ a man NltAt
on an ant hin or a hummock but a few
yards away without seeing him if the
person keeps still.
Keen observers have noted various
peculiar propensities of hippos, among
them the tendency among males to
neglect their offspring Bulls have
frequently been seen TO attack and
maltreat their young. Then, too. they
are habitual fighters among themselves
at night. and wounded hippo. wheth-
er injured by fellow shorter or
bullet. is often attacked and abused by
the other members Of the herd.
| Following is an extract from IA
nous African hunters account of an
East African native hippo chase which
illustrates the favorite method adopt
ed by jungle inhabitants. whose in
genuity must remain unquestioned:
I'VE accompanied the natives on
board of huge raft made Of reeds
and logs and toatcd down the river on
a moonlit night. The natives had
spears or harpoons attached to long
ropes, and at the rear of the raft ca
noes were kept in readiness.
soon a sound Of waters cleaved by
heavy bodies mingled with deep shorts
came to our ears. We swept around a
bend and We're In the midst of a herd
of appropriateness AT least dozen of
them there seemed to be disporting in
the water. some spouting through their
nostrilS and vet others rolling in the
mud and ooze. inst then the raft ran
sheer against a huge beast, and a ma
tive poised his huge harpoon in his
hand and drove it with all his force
into the monsters back
The stricken beast. with a cry that
scattered the remainder of the herd,
dived like a stone for the bottom. In
a moment he was going downstream
at rate that soon used up the line on
the harpoon, and it was jerked out of
the huntsman's hand. leaving the buoy
attached to tell the course OF his fight.
Two of the natives launched and
jumped into the canoe. | with them,
and a few minutes of vigorous pad
ding enabled US to recover the buoy.
The beast was still travelling too fast
for us to haul in much line, but soon