Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

heavy .3S pistol on the chance of crack at a
croc, | started in my hosts great slxty-foot
war canoe for cruise along the reeds of the
lake shore and to get view of R1pon Falls
from the west.
Just as | was stepping into the canoe near at
hand up rose true Nile ibis and lovely laven- |
der hued crested crane. Dropping them with a
right and left, sent them to the house for ap-
prevail, and three hours later had the ibis beau
tifully roasted for breakfast-dark tender
meat in flavor much like prairie chicken
while the crane was condemned for everything
but personal beauty.
AS we gided gently along through alternat-
ing patches of lotus pads, reeds, and still
shadows, never have seen predatory life active
in such varied forms and on such colossal scale.
Beneath me in the shadows big fish were
darling savagely after the little ones.
Above, sort Of black and white kinghsher
poised stationary with chin bent tight to chest,
sharp beak down pointed. fierce little eyes hum
grily searching the depths forty or fifty feet
below him, wings beating so rapidly. to main
tain his poise, YOU could scarce see them; and
then down straight at his quarry like lump
of lead he would drop drop, disappearing en-
tirely under water for a second or two. to rise
full empty clawed, according to hunters
luck
Along the lakeshore the air positively
swarmed with insect life, chiefly flies individu
ally small you can scarce see them. Often in
midlake for miles gray to black columns may
be seen rising several hundred feet from the
stocked steamer fires. but are really swarms of
tiny flies, which, once your vessel runs into
them, shut out all view like the densest fog and
if at night, extinguish all lights.
All about me on the lotus pads dainty little
lemon hued birds were hopping about indus
triously picking for their insect breakfast, while
aloft at times the air fairly black with
swallows darting hither and yon like the aerial
corSalrS they are, to whom all flies are prey;
V-shaped flights of black divers big as wild
over mas nr
standing on the little rock pinnacles that rise
a few feet above the water near to the falls,
wings extended spread-eagle fashion and lazily
a deep plunge after passing fish
Distant narrow black lines on the water that
disappeared as l advanced were the heads of
crocodiles, too wary to permit of near approach
by boat
Ahoat with Hippo
p ETURNING soaking wet from a half-mile
~ walk through bush and long grass from the
old Stanley crossing to Ripon, to get snapshot
of the west end of the falls out in the lake
nearly mile from shore We sighted a big hippo
bull. floating, full length exposed, near two
small jutting rocks covered with divers.
| tried to slip in for a close camera shot, but
when within a hundred yards he dropped all
but his head below water. and fearing to lose
him altogether. so snapped him.
Meantime, the canoe having probably dritted
to within eighty yards the fancy struck me to
have try at him with my pistol, the upper
third of his head being in full view. The first
shot trifle too high; but at the second l
thought | had him.-we plainly heard the
smash of the ball upon or into the great bony
head. My boys yelled "Pigd! PfgdE' (Hit!
HitD. and with snort he rose full body
out of water and plunged down. leaving mar
row red ribbon of blood twining among the
bubbles.
Then for about an hour he at minute to
haf-minute intervals for air. but only for an
nstant's exposure of the tips of the nostrils, |
which, try hard as | could, gave me no chance
of landing another shot, sometimes driving to
right and left in his dives again in circles too
much dazed to follow usual wounded hippo |
tactics of rush for shore and the reeds
NV only chance of hitting him again lay in a |
square charge of the boat, which often the
hippo makes. with full head exposure as he |
r,,shes open mouthed and at an eight-knot pace |
for crunch of your boat gunwale. If on such
a rush one waits until he is within few feet of
the boat. deadly shot is not difficult. But no
such charge did he make. Once he rose within |
twenty feet of us, but, apparently. by accident.
for it was only for seconds exposure of great |
nostrils that looked like gazing into the |
business end of young double-barreled can
non. Nor were the next few seconds,-until. |
having passed squarely beneath US he rose two
hundred feet on the other side of us,-over- |
CHARGED with comfort for one of the worst |