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"If you don't mind," threatened Stanley, "I'll give away your hippo story." "It has increased," said Ailsa's big, schoolboy husband, chuckling to himself. "Impossible!..." ejaculated The Kid. "Surely it had already reached the limit of human ingenuity?" They both spluttered, and Ailsa threw a newspaper at them, but Diana demanded to be told the story.
"But if we can only pick up Muata and his jackal, we should be all right. Just a nice party." The rudder-chains clanked; the boat set up a heavy wash as she turned from her course. There was a splashing, and something snorted almost in Venning's face. "Nearly ran into a hippo!" sang out Mr. Hume. "We must keep out into mid-river; it's too risky inshore. Tell me when you are tired."
In a moment the planton of plantons had respectfully entered. Feeling like a suit-case in the clutches of a porter, I obediently preceded my escort down two flights, first having bowed to the hippopotamus and said "Merci" to which courtesy the Hippo paid no attention. As we went along the dank hall on the ground floor, I regretted that no whispers and titters had greeted my descent.
Leaving now Ostia and its fleet, greater even than that of the Tiber, five days brought us in sight of the African shore, but quite to the west of Utica. So, coasting along, we presently came off against Hippo, and then doubling a promontory, both Utica and Carthage were at once visible Utica nearer, Carthage just discernible in the distance.
One, the canoe fringed with branches, slowly drifting upon the other two, raised but a few feet above the water on a gleaming yellow sand island. One hippo, with its huge head swinging, was standing up, looking not unlike an overfed prize pig. Then the other rose, and the two walked towards the water. "Wow! the old bull keeps on the safe side. I said it; he is wise." "Shameless!" cried the women.
Mr. Hume made a dart for his rifle. The Okapi rocked and heaved, was lifted at the bows to fall back with a splash. "Hippo," gasped Venning, making a drive with his weapon through the mosquito curtains. "Got him! no! missed!" "What's that you've got there, Venning?" "Sort of harpoon." "By gum!" said Mr. Hume, taking the weapon, "I'm glad you missed the beggar.
It should be remembered that Lactantius proclaimed belief in the existence of antipodes inane, and Saint Augustine of Hippo added that in any case there could be no question of inhabited lands. 'That sounds as if you were not quite sceptical, dear doctor, said Miss Boyd.
This happened to be one of those fortunate shots that consoles you for many misses, and the saucy old hippo turned upon his back and rolled about in tremendous struggles, lashing the still and deep pool into waves, until he at length disappeared.
With one muscular movement of his big body wonderfully agile for so clumsy a creature he swam towards the boat, and, before the occupants realized what was going to happen, Hippo had seized the boat in his great mouth and crushed one end of it into splinters. Two of the men were killed instantly, and the others soon after, for Hippo used his terrible mouth and teeth with appalling effect.
His wife finally took the precaution of taking up her position farther down the river, but keeping fairly close to the herd. Hippo missed her and the baby calf, and felt lonely and miserable, but he did not take the trouble to follow them, for his wounds were getting worse, and the torture was now so great that he could not think of much else.