“No, there is little chance of that. Should he do so and upset the boat, throw yourself among the rushes and lie there with only your face above water. I will divert his attention and come back and get you into the boat when he has made off.” Another spear was thrown with good effect. There was a roar and a great splash. Chebron thought that the animal was upon them; but he turned off and dashed back to the pool where he had been first lying. “I thought that was what he would do,” the hunter said. “They always seek shelter in the bottom of the deep pools; and here, you see, the water is not deep enough to cover him.” The boat again followed the hippopotamus. Amuba was still on his raft on the pool. “What has become of him?” Chebron asked as they passed beyond the rushes. “He has sunk to the bottom of the pool,” Amuba replied. “He gave me a start, I can tell you. We heard him bursting through the rushes, and then he rushed out with his mouth open--a mouth like a cavern; and then, just as I thought he was going to charge us, he turned off and sank to the bottom of the pool.” “How long will he lie there?” Chebron asked the hunter. “A long time if he is left to himself, but we are going to stir him up.” So saying he directed the boat toward the rushes nearest to the bank and pushed the boat through them. “Oh, here you are, Jethro!” Chebron said, seeing the Rebu and the men he had accompanied standing on the bank. “What has happened, Chebron--have you killed one of them? We heard a sort of roar and a great splashing.” “We have not killed him, but there are two spear-heads sticking into him.” The hunter handed the cords to the men and told them to pull steadily, but not hard enough to break the cords. Then he took from them the end of the rope they carried and poled back into the pool. “Those cords are not strong enough to pull the great beast to the shore, are they?” Chebron asked. “Oh, no, they would not move him; but by pulling on them it causes the spear-heads to give him pain, he gets uneasy, and rises to the surface in anger. Then, you see, I throw this noose over his head, and they can pull upon that.” In two or three minutes the animal’s head appeared above the water. The instant it did so the hunter threw the noose. The aim was correct, and with a jerk he tightened it round the neck. “Now pull!” he shouted. The peasants pulled, and gradually the hippopotamus was drawn toward the bank, although struggling to swim in the opposite direction. As soon, however, as he reached the shallow water and his feet touched the ground he threw his whole weight upon the rope. The peasants were thrown to the ground and the rope dragged through their fingers as the hippopotamus again made his way to the bottom of the pool. The peasants regained their feet and pulled on the rope and cords. Again the hippopotamus rose and was dragged to the shallow, only to break away again. For eight or ten times this happened.