I
1.After a journey of several days across a tract of country near the river Nile，we camped for the night ina patch of scruba little larger and greener than thosesurrounding it.We were then about sixty miles to thesouth-west of Kassala.Next day we made a slightdeviationin our journey，in order to visit an Arabencampment.It proved to be the camp of a hunting party.They had journeyed to the “great river”to get hippopotamuses’skins，which were to be made into shields，or to be sold at Kassala.
2.After the sheik had offered us some coffee and food，the conversation turned into the one channel of interest to this race-the use of arms and the management of the horse.Among the weapons shown us was the spear used in hunting the hippopotamus.It had a large，heavy head of soft steel about eighteen inches long，fitted with a single stout barb.The shaftwas a light bamboo rod about ten feet long.Attached to the iron head was a light but very strong rope twenty feet long；and at the free end of the rope was a float，shaped like an oval football and about the same size，made of a peculiarly light wood which they called ambatch .
3.“We will now show you the hippopotamus，”saidthe sheik.In a few minutes about thirty of us were on horse-back.We pressed on to the river.The current ran strongly in the middle，and the banks were irregular，as if violently washed by the action of the great springfloods.In the coves were quiet pools studdedwithrocks.We left our horses in care of some of the men.The great hunter of the party，Jali by name，then put onhis hunting costume，which means that he discardedmost of his clothes，and braced a leathern belt around his waist.He must have been seventy years of age.He was more than six feet high，and as straight as an arrow.With his grey hair and bronzed skin，he was a picture worth looking at.
4.Seizing a spear，he examined it in every part.Then he withdrew the bamboo shaft from the head，thrust the head through his girdle，and coiled the ropeon his left arm，with the float over his shoulder.Thusequipped，and using the shaft as a pole，he leapedfrom boulder to boulder with the activity of a boy，until he reached the deep-water entrance to a large pool.As he leaped to the last boulder，two hippopotamuses arose from its shadow with a snort and a rush and swam rapidly through the passage into the open river.
5.“They were awake；we were too soon after their meal.But I wished to be certain of having time to find one to-day，”said the sheik，as we proceeded to another pool about half a mile below.As we clambered over some rocks，and through a gorge，at the bottom of which was a small pool，I saw the immense head of ahippopotamus lying close to a perpendicular rock that formed a wall twenty feet long，running at right angles to the river.The old man，Jali，had been walking along just in front of me；and as I touched him，and pointed down to the animal‘s head，the gravity of his face was lifted as a curtain rises：he looked forty years younger in an instant.Hurriedly telling us in Arabic to halt and remain quiet，he climbed up the side of the gorge again and disappeared.
6.In about five minutes the sheik touched my hand，and directed his eyes to the middle of the river.There，in the rushing current，was the old man，quietly carried along by it，with only half his head above water，and thelarge float bobbing about in his wake.As he nearedthe jutting wall of rock，he could not have been thirty feet from the half-asleep river-horse，and his head sanklower and lower until it was almost submerged .
7.“Surely he，an old man，can never breast that current to gain the rock，”I said in a whisper to the chief.But the sheik only smiled，and made a motion tobe silent.As the veteranhunter passed the end of therock，he turned on his side，and after a fierce struggle with the water，gained a footing on the lower part of the rock，where，hidden from our view，he rested until he had regained his breath.
8.Then his hand appeared on the top，next his head，and then，by sheer muscular force marvellous in so old a man，he raised himself to the very top of the rock.He fitted the shaft of the spear into the head；cast clear the rope and float；rose slowly to his full height，his long，sinewy arm raised；and advanced to the edge of the pool.The sun behind him suddenly cleared a large belt of cloud that for a few minutes had obscured it，and cast his shadow forward right in front of thehippopotamus.Slowly the animal sank.The old Arab did not move；no statue of bronze was ever more rigid than this old river-king，with his dripping body and upraised spear，just risen from the flood.
eading the way，he ran quickly down the bank of the river to where the hippopotamus had struck the shallows and was ploughing his way to land，sending up showers of spray into the air as his ungainly form galloped though the shallow stream.
1.Suddenly he seemed to catch sight of the float bobbing behind him，and he immediately turned to attack it.Then two men，carrying a long rope，plunged out into the current and drifted until one was well past the animal.As soon as they got him midway between them，the two men made their way ashore，sweeping the rope along until they caught the float in its loop.Then all the Arabs seized the rope，and slowly drew the animal to shore.
2.As long as he was in the water，the hippopot-amus seemed not to notice the crowd pulling at him，and ploughed along in a vain effort to reach the float，which was dancing in front.But as soon as he reached the land，a change came over him.For a momenthe stood at bay；then，regardless of his wound，hecharged straight at us，his irresistiblerush carryingto the ground nearly every one who was hauling at the rope.Woe betide the man who was not swift inregaining his feet！But the natives are as active as cats.They scattered in all directions，not running away，but passing behind or to one side of the animal，diverting his attention and breaking his charge；while thosenearest the ends of the rope got a fresh purchasebypassing it round a rock and bringing the animal up with a round turn.
3.Now two hunters attacked him，one on each side.The animal charged one of the hunters，who immediately fled；but the other attacked him with his spear as he passed.Charge after charge he made，snapping the spear-shafts like reeds，and biting one of the ropes in two，until the son of the sheik，takinga tried spear in his hand，went to meet him single-handed.The hippopotamus rushed blindly at him.Thehunter jumped warilyto one side to avoid the rush；then，as the rope caused the animal to swerve round，the young man ran up and pierced him to the heart.
4.As soon as the excitement had subsided，the sheik with a small party went to see if the body of Jali could be seen in the clear water，and recovered.We saw nothing except the loose shaft of the spear floating near the outlet of the pool.I felt thoroughly sorry for the fine old hunter；but nothing could be done，and we turned to go.But what was that？Where did that chuckling laugh come from？Lying down on the wall of rock，and peering over its side，we saw old Jali hangingto a projectionbelow，quietly laughing to himself atour gloomy looks.
5.We pulled the old man up，and found him uninjured，but very weak and tired.He told us that when he fell he had enough presence of mind to turn over beneath the water and dive back close to the rock，where he remained submerged as long as he could.He knew that to keep under was his only chance of safety.The animal，not seeing him，made for the open river.Then Jali got his head out of the water，and quietlyrested，not venturing to scale the rock until we came back to look for him.
6.On our return to the camp，I counted eight hippopotamuses that the Arabs had secured in less than three weeks.This would supply them with food for a very long time；and the hides，when transported to Kassala，would bring high prices.
