Off to the Wilds Part 35

Both d.i.c.k and Jack declared that they were not in the least alarmed; and thereupon the king, who seemed to get on far better with them than with their father, proposed that they should come up the little river, and see his warriors hunt the great river-horse.

Mr Rogers consented with a nod; and taking their rifles, the boys accompanied the king back to the town, where, orders being given, his majesty's big canoe was prepared, and half-a-dozen great hunters, armed with throwing-spears, each entered a canoe of his own--a frail rickety-looking affair, that threatened to turn over at any moment, even with the weight of one man, but which its occupant sent through the water at a famous rate, by his clever management of a long paddle.

The king's boat was none too safe a structure, and the boys laughed the one at the other as they took their seats before their host.

"If we are overturned, Jack, make for the sh.o.r.e at once, and try and save your rifle."

"To be sure, d.i.c.k. But how about the crocodiles?"

"And the hippos, Jack?"

"Feel afraid?"

"No. Do you?"

"Not a bit!"

The king seemed a little nervous about the boys' rifles when he saw the deadly weapons in their hands, and he asked if they were safe.

"A deal safer than your boat, Mr King," said d.i.c.k, laughing.

"Yes, that they are," said Jack, giving the boat a sway to and fro.

Then the king laughed, and the boys laughed again, and distributed some more acid-rock sticks, of which his majesty highly approved. Then he gave the word, the rowers dipped their paddles, and six men propelled the canoe pretty swiftly.

"I say, d.i.c.k," whispered Jack, "black kings are not such bad fellows after all, are they?"

"Not at all. I like this one. But don't whisper; it will make him think we are talking about him. How many cartridges have you got?"

"Twenty four. How many have you?"

"Two dozen."

The boys laughed and compared their cartridges, when the king, who had felt suspicious of their whispering, also smiled, and took great interest in the breech-loading guns, exhibiting quite a childish delight in seeing the breech opened, and in being able to look right through the shining barrels. After which he had the pleasure of thrusting in the cartridges with his own fingers; but when they were closed he expressed his opinion that they were not safe.

Meanwhile, after being propelled for some distance up the great river, the canoes were turned off into a side stream of no great width, and whose sluggish waters serpentined amidst muddy beds of reeds, with a palm-tree raising its ornamental fronds here and there to relieve the monotony of the scene.

The canes and reeds seemed to swarm with ducks and other water-fowl; and here and there, riding in the calm reaches, they saw for the first time that curious water-bird, the darter, swimming with its body nearly submerged, and its long, snaky neck ready to dart its keen bill with almost lightning rapidity at the tiny fish upon which it fed.

"Oh! what a splendid place for a day's fishing, d.i.c.k!" whispered Jack.

"This place must swarm, I know. I wish I had brought the tackle."

"There's something more interesting than fishing to see," replied d.i.c.k.

"Look! look!"

He pointed to the side of the river, a hundred yards ahead, where a huge, clumsily-formed hippopotamus slowly waded into the water and sank out of sight.

"What a brute!" said d.i.c.k. "Why, he could upset us. I say, King Moseti, couldn't one of those fellows upset the boat?"

"Yes," said the king; "then all swim ash.o.r.e if he no catchee."

"That's pleasant," said d.i.c.k. "But look, Jack! what's that?"

He pointed ahead to something black, seen just above the surface of the water, and several feet in front of it two prominences; then two more appeared slowly above the water. There was a sort of gasping sigh, and a couple of little puffs like those emitted by a small steam-engine, and the black k.n.o.bs and the black surface disappeared.

"What a monster!" cried Jack.

"Now going to begin," said the king.

But they paddled on another half-mile before they really began.

They were in a very winding part of the river now, the serpentine curves being so sharp that the banks seemed to be a succession of muddy points and reedy bays.

On one of these points a large, broad-nosed hippo was standing, looking as shapeless as if it had been roughly modelled in mud, and set upon four legs of the shortest and squattiest kind. Nearer to them, and in the water, several of the great amphibious creatures were playing about, raising their heads occasionally, sometimes only their eyes and nostrils, which the boys could see opened and shut like a valve, to admit air and keep out the water.

The canoes now stopped, and it was not a very pleasant feeling, to be aware that beneath them, and all around, these monstrous beasts were walking about at the bottom of the muddy river, ready to rise up at will, and upset the canoes, or perhaps take a piece out with their teeth.

"Now going to begin," said the king.

And in obedience to a signal made with his stick, three of the little canoes went in advance, their occupants managing the paddles with one hand, their a.s.segais with the other, and gliding cautiously over the surface of the river, to the attack of one of the great hippopotami.

"I wish they hadn't got such long names," said Jack, who was getting deeply interested; "it's quite a mouthful."

"Never mind, they've got good broad backs and heads," said d.i.c.k. "I say, Jack, look at that one! What a mouth! It's like a great leather portmanteau being opened."

"Or a big carpet-bag," replied Jack; "and what teeth!"

They were indeed monstrous, and as the animal raised its ears and eyes above the water, and just displayed a portion of its prominent nostrils, it was plain to see why the ancients called them river-horses; for, seen like this, the head bore a remarkable resemblance to that of some large horse.

"Now look!" said the king, who then started, for the boys involuntarily c.o.c.ked their rifles. For one of the canoes, with the hunter therein, approached the great beast just named, the hunter standing up to work his paddle, and holding his a.s.segai poised for throwing, while the huge brute upon the point of land where he stood out as if displaying his mighty proportions, kept uttering grunts of dissatisfaction.

Just as the canoe approached the beast in the water, it allowed itself slowly to subside; but it rose again directly after, a few yards farther off, when, giving his paddle a sweep, the hunter poised and hurled his a.s.segai with such force, and so true an aim, that it was seen sticking in the hippo, just where the neck joins the shoulder.

The moment he had thrown, the hunter stooped and picked up another spear; but even as he did so the hippopotamus made a dash at his canoe, bit at the side, shook it, and the man was precipitated into the water.

In another instant the hippopotamus would have had him in his jaws; but now was the time for the other hunters, whose canoes skimmed over the surface side by side, and before the animal could reach the man in the water, first one and then another spear was hurled, taking effect in its neck.

This took off the monster's attention for a few moments; just sufficient to enable the owner of the overturned canoe to get ash.o.r.e, right his boat, pour out all the water, and once more return to the attack.

Meanwhile, the other three canoes had gone into the _melee_, each man sending a spear into the neck or shoulder of the huge hippopotamus whenever he pressed one of the other hunters too hard.

This went on for some time, with the monster growing weaker in his resistance, the plan adopted being to weary him out by constant a.s.sault; and all this time the great fellow on the mud point had looked on, giving a fierce grunt now and then, and at times prolonging this grunt into a deafening bellow. He evidently mightily disapproved of what was being done to his fellow; but it did not seem to enter into his brain how he was to help him.

The idea seemed to come at last; for, turning his head towards the king's canoe, he opened his mouth to its fullest extent displaying the great worn-down tusks, and uttered a tremendous roar, that can only be rendered on paper by a repet.i.tion of the words, "Hawgnph! hawgnph!" sent through a huge waterpipe, by the blast of a steam-engine of mighty power.

This done he closed his mouth with a tremendous chop, and rushed into the water and disappeared.

"What a brute!" cried d.i.c.k.