La Junta tribune., 1909-08-21

crocodile close at one side. nor In the
dim light did they observe the eyes
and hose Of two hippos pecping above
the water edge three or four yards out
from the bank. Suddenly the croco.
Ollie gave a powerful sweep with his
formidable tail as resistless us 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 hippo
wallowlng place, and native hunters
ehect many killings and captures after
dark by the crude 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 Of a weighted spear.
often tipped with poison. which is sus.
pended over 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. thrs releasing the spear,
which strikes deeply into the body or
head Of the hippo. This method is also
USED at times In the staying OF ele-
phants, 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
to The land vegetation, free from OBJ
servatiOn, and In these grcwsomc 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
sone noises that can be heard mile
on. though most Of the day they re-
main practically quiet. sleeping and
yawnlng the time away on the waters
surface or standing stupidity In herds
on some sunny sand spit. with their
heads resting on one anoiher's backs
because of the excessive weight OF
these hidcous frontal "adornments.'
Thus the homily OF bearing one an
Others burdens is not unknown e
denizcns of jungle and moruss.
H.. la, nta
phant hunting, as regards getting tc
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. 1t is doubtful II
the hippo. There Is one advantage
held by hippo pursuers which vet
erans do not fan TO put TO good us,
when necessary refer to the low
ness Of his eyes. which makes II ain
cult 10 see objects at any appreciabl'
height Consequently persons chase,
by one OF them sometimes escape b.
climbing n tree and taking CAREFUL,
aimed shot at him MS he goes lumber
ing by. Owing TO this same peculiar
ity hIppos viii pass by man pcrche,
on an nut hill or n hummock but few
yards away without seeing him II tn
person keeps still.
Keen observers have noted vnriou,
peculiar propensities Of hippos. amoni
them the tendency among males Il
neglect their offspring. Bulls hav'
frequently been seen to attack ant
maltrcat their young. Then. too. the,
are habitual lighters among Themselves
At night. aud n wounded hippo. wheth
er injured by a fellow sporter or 4
bullet. II often attacked and abused 10y
the other members OF the herd.
Following Is nn extract from IN
nous African hunters account OF al
East African native hippo chase. which
Illustrates the favorite method adopt
ed by jungle inhabitants. whose In
renuity mus, remain unquest!oned:
We accompanied the natives on
board Of n huge raft made Of reeds
and logs and fontcd down the river on
moonlit night. The natives had
spears or harpoons attached to Ions
ropes. and at the rear Of the raft ca
noes were kept In readiness.
Soon q sound Of waters cleavcd by
heavy bodies mingled with deep snortl
came 10 our ears. We swept around a
bend and were In the midst Of herd
OF hippopotnmuses. At least = dozen OF
them there seemed to he disporting In
the water. some spouting through their
nostrlls and yet others rolling In the
mud and oozc. Just then the raft ran
sheer against huge beast. and q mn
tive poised his huge harpoon IN his
hand aud drove II with all his force
Into the monsters bnck.
''rhe stricken beast. with = cry that
scattseed the remainder Of the herd
dIyed like . stone for the bottom. In
Q moment he was going downstream