But when the Homrans hunt the hippo
alone they do not use firearms at all
When the animal makes off with the
block of ambatch wood they patiently
watch it for about an hour. Then they
jump into the water (they never wear
any clothes on a hunt), and try to get
the block. They swim like fish, dart
ing hundreds of yards under water, and
fearless of the crocodiles they pursue
the wounded hippo guided by the am
batch block, and seizing the rope by the
block they drag the animal near the
shore and if it rises to the surface give
it another dose of harpoons. When the
hippo keeps iu the middle of the stream
where, although the ambatch could be
reached by swimming, it could not be
worked with sufficient force for want
of leverage, the Homrai.s fasten two
ropes across the river, oue slack and the
other tight. These catch the ambatch
and hold it until the Homrans lasso it
from the shore and dragthe animal in
this way to the land. Schanmann says
the Homrans are such expert sw immers
they will keep near the harpooned hippo
following the ambatch ; and he has seen
more than oue jump up on the back of
the animal, catch weapons thrown by
theiu on shore, and inflict deep wounds
with them into the bodyot the strug
gling creature. The hippos are much
more afraid of a man ou foot than of
one or many on horseback. They will
attack a horse sooner than they will a
man.
