must be very large."

"Probably they are," continued the doctor; "something like my friend
Phil Briant here. I would venture to guess, now, that his organ of
combativeness is well-developed--let me see."

The doctor, who sat close beside the Irishman, caused him to pull in his
paddle and submit his head for inspection.

"Ah! then, don't operate on me, doctor dear! I've a mortial fear o'
operations iver since me owld grandmother's pig got its foreleg took off
at the hip-jint."

"Hold your tongue, Paddy. Now the bump lies here--just under--eh! why,
you haven't got so much as--what!"

"Plaize, I think it's lost in fat, sur," remarked Briant, in a plaintive
tone, as if he expected to be reprimanded for not having brought his
bump of combativeness along with him.

"Well," resumed the doctor, passing his fingers through Briant's matted
locks, "I suppose you're not so combative as we had fancied--"

"Thrue for you," interrupted Phil.

"But, strange enough, I find your organ of veneration is very large,
_very_ large indeed; singularly so for a man of your character; but I
cannot feel it easily, you have such a quantity of hair."

"Which is it, doctor dear?" inquired Phil.

"This one I am pressing now."

"Arrah! don't press so hard, plaze, it's hurtin' me ye are. Shure
that's the place where I run me head slap up agin the spanker-boom four
days ago. Av _that's_ me bump o' vineration, it wos three times as big
an' twice as hard yisterday--it wos, indade."

Interruptions in this world of uncertainty are not uncommon, and in the
African wilds they are peculiarly frequent. The interruption which
occurred on the present occasion to Dr Hopley's reply was, we need
scarcely remark, exceedingly opportune. It came in the form of a
hippopotamus, which rose so close to the boat that Ailie got a severe
start, and Tim Rokens made a blow at its head with his paddle. It did
not seem to notice the boat, but after blowing a quantity of water from
its nostrils, and opening its horrible mouth as if it were yawning, it
slowly sank again into the flood.

"Wot an 'orrible crittur!" exclaimed Jim Scroggles, in amazement at the
sight.

"The howdacious willain!" remarked Rokens.

"Is that another on ahead?" said Glynn, pointing to an object floating
on the water about a hundred yards up the river: for they had passed the
lake, and were now ascending another stream. "D'ye see it, Ailie?
Look!"

The object sank as he spoke, an