d, 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, Dick!" 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 Dick.
"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 Dick. "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 ashore if he no catchee."

"That's pleasant," said Dick. "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 knobs 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 assegais with the other, and gliding cautiously over the
surface of the river, to the attack of one of the great hippopotami.

"I