d grass as he waddles along.

The form of that part of the bank is such that he is at least inclined,
if not constrained, to pass directly under the suspended beam. Ha! we
understand the matter now. Most people do understand, when a thing
becomes obviously plain. The hippopotamus wants grass for supper; the
"savage" chief wants hippopotamus. Both set about arranging their plans
for their respective ends. The hippopotamus passes close to the forked
stick, and touches the cord which sustains it in air like the sword of
Damocles. Down comes the beam, driving the spike deep into his back. A
cry follows, something between a grunt, a squeak, and a yell, and the
wounded animal falls, rolls over, jumps up, with unexpected agility for
such a sluggish, unwieldy creature, and rumbles, rushes, rolls, and
stumbles back into the river, where his relatives take to flight in
mortal terror. The unfortunate beast might perhaps recover from the
wound, were it not that the spike has been tipped with poison. The
result is that he dies in about an hour. Not long afterwards the chief
returns with a band of his followers, who, being experts in the use of
the knife and hatchet, soon make mince-meat of their game--laden with
which they return in triumph to their homes.

Let us follow them thither.

CHAPTER TEN.

DESCRIBES AFRICAN DOMESTICITY, AND MANY OTHER THINGS RELATIVE THERETO,
BESIDES SHOWING THAT ALARMS AND FLIGHTS, SURPRISES AND FEASTS, ARE NOT
CONFINED TO PARTICULAR PLACES.

When our negro chief--whose name, by the way, was Kambira--left the
banks of the river, followed by his men bearing the hippopotamus-flesh,
he set off at a swinging pace, like to a man who has a considerable walk
before him.

The country through which they passed was not only well wooded, but well
watered by numerous rivulets. Their path for some distance tended
upwards towards the hills, now crossing over mounds, anon skirting the
base of precipitous rocks, and elsewhere dipping down into hollows; but
although thus serpentine in its course, its upward tendency never varied
until it led them to the highest parts of a ridge from which a
magnificent prospect was had of hill and dale, lake, rivulet and river,
extending so far that the distant scenery at the horizon appeared of a
thin pearly-grey colour, and of the same consistency as the clouds with
which it mingled.

Passing over this ridge, and descending into a wide valley which was
fertilised