leaf, affording grateful shade to beast and bird; at the brown cones,
the habitations of men, encircled by their strong palisades; at the
grain-fields, which shimmered and waved gaily before the tepid southern
wind; and at lengthy, straight, far-reaching vistas of river and wooded
banks which were revealed to them as they glided down the Liemba.

"Happy hour!" thought Selim. "Would it might last ever, or at least
until I reached my own home and mother at Zanzibar!"

"Hail, joyous day!" thought Abdullah. "Give joy to all men, as I have
joy. Be still joyous, to-morrow and the day after, until mine eyes
shall once more rest on the blue wares of the Indian Sea."

The two boys looked into each other's eyes; the look was interpreted
aright by each, and tears crept into the corners of their eyes, and
rolled down their faces in still drops--still as the joy which caused
them.

About two hours before noon the canoe touched an island; and,
disembarking, the party proceeded to select a nice place to rest for an
hour, and to refresh themselves with the lunch, consisting of dried
meat, smoked fish, and, a potful of cold porridge they had brought with
them.

Just as the hour had transpired, a hoarse, deep bellow woe heard close
by, which caused the entire party to start to their feet and glide to
the edge of the island, whence they saw a herd of hippopotami quietly
enjoying the cool deep waters near a place where the river began a sharp
curve at the other end of the island.

"Good!" cried Kalulu; "one--three--fire hippopotami! Now for sport. My
white brother, canst thou swim?" he asked Selim.

"Yes; why?"

"Because, if thou cannot, 'twere better that thou shouldst stay here.
Can Abdullah swim?"

"Very well," replied Abdullah for himself.

"Then come on to the canoe at once. But stop; ye both had better doff
your shoulder-cloths, and roll the lower clothe far up the hip; ye may
have to swim, for a hippopotamus sometimes charges on the canoe, or
kicks it viciously, and then down ye go to the bottom. If it should
happen this time, dive down to the bottom of the river at once, and make
off under the water towards the island. The hippopotamus is very apt to
cut a man in two if he catches him. The animals are now coming up the
river; we will wait for them, and when they have gone above us a little
way we can sally out from our hiding-place, and give it to them. Do ye
understand?"

"Perfectly," both answered; while S