The Washington times., 1919-12-28

AZ lssgth the channel for quite a
leng way was literally fsIl of hip
pepotamf-I should think there
must have bssu q hundred or more
Of all sorts and sizes. from great
bulls down 70 little calves. No<
many Of these were killed, for the
shooting Of car gallant company
was execrsele.
stu the unhappy beasts, crazed
with noise and nre and blood, did
not seem TO dare face cur frail bar
ricade. For a while they remaised
massed together, making a mosi
terrible noise. Then of sudden q
few Of them broke back toward
the burning reeds. the screaming
beaters and the advancing canoes.
One wounded bull charged q ca
noe, crushed IT IN its huge Jaws and
killed the rover. The majority OF
them. however emerging from the
water on either side, began TO
scramble toward NJ along the steep
banks, or even to climb up them
With surprising agility. II was at
this point in the proceedings that
I congratulated myself upon the
solid character OF the water-worn
rock ] had selected as a shelter.
Behind this rock, together with
my gun-bearer and umslopogass.
who. as be did not shoot. had elect
ed to be my companion, Icrouched
and banged away at the unwieldy
creatures as they advanced. But
fire fast az ! might with two ,rises,
I could not stop the half of them
and-they were drawing unpleas-
antlr uear. ] glanced at Umslop-
ogaas snd even then was amused
to see that probably for the frst
time IN his life that redoubtable
warrior was in genuine fright.
This is madness, Macumszahn, !"
he shouted above the din sAre we
to stop here and be stamped fstl
by q horde OF water-pigsf" q.
"lt seems So" ] answered, "un-'
less you prefer TO be stamped, fist
outside, or esten." added. poinffne
to a great crocodile that had also
emerged from the. channel and was
coming along toward us with open
jaws.
by the Axe," shouted Umslop-
ogaas again. y win not ale thus,
trodden on like slug by an OK"
In his extremity Umslopogxxs
rushed for tree and went up II like
lsnplighter just as the crocodile
wriggled past its trunk. swapping
at his retreating legs. Arter this
I took no more note Of him, partly
because OF the advancing ses-cows,
and more for The reason that one
OF the village natives posted above
me, firing wildly, put a large round
bullet through the sleeve OF my
coat. Indeed. had II not been for
the wall that protected us, am Ger.
tain that both my bearer and
would have been killed.
Well, thanks TO the strength OF
my rock and TO the wall, or as Hans
said sfterward. to zfkshfs Great
Medicine. we escaped unhurt. The
rush went by me; indeed. killed
one seaoew so close thst the pow
der actually burned MS hide. But
it did go by. leaving US un-
touched AL, however. were not SO
fortunate. since Of the village ma
tives two were trampled TO death,
while q third had his leg broken.
Also, and this was really anus
ing, a bewildered bull charging al
full speed. crashed into the trunk
OF Umslopoeaas's tree. and snapped
it In two. Down came the top IN
which the dignified chief was en-
sconced like bird in nest, though
at that moment there was precious
little dignity about him. However,
except for scratches he was not
hurt as the hippopotamus did not
stop to settle with him.
"Such are the things which hap
pen to a man who mixes himself up
with matters Of which he knows
nothing" said UmslopogAas sen
tentiously to me afterward. But all
the same he could never bear any
allusion TO this tree-climbing epi-
sode, which had taken place in full
view Of his retainers, among whom
1t remained the greatest Of Jokes.