romping in blissful contentment whilst this exciting bother
was in progress.
The incident was nearly the cause of the total wreck of
the Leviathan; for during the strenuous endeavours of the
boys to stop her, the stern swung out, and now the canoe
lay athwart the stream, a most unmanageable position, considering
her great length.
Down we went. The poles could find no bottom. A
promontory jutted out from the bank in front, forming the
whirl of a strong eddy, the two currents flowing in opposing
directions with equal velocity.
“ Thunder and lightning, Fred I This will break us up.”
The backwater, running like a mill race, caught the
Leviathan's nose, while the strong central current swept her
stern in the opposite direction. Round she spun like a
top, and came into violent collision with the abutting bank,
which met her like the ram of an ironclad. The cranky
craft struck with a heavy thud, and heeled over, threatening
to discharge both crew and cargo without further ceremony.
We clung to the long reeds which inclined invitingly towards
our eager hands, and managed to get a hold just in
time to prevent a repetition of the pirouette movement,
and the certainty of the craft going to the bottom.
. Considerable delay resulted from this unforeseen mischance.
Water, which had been shipped, had to be bailed,
and the saturated cargo righted. As soon as this was over
we shoved off once more, rejoicing at the two very narrow
escapes we had had within a few minute's.
Towards evening the hippos became more playful, being
about to enter their feeding grounds. They appeared on
every hand, and we no sooner passed one herd of eight
or ten than we ran into another, while difficulties and
dilemmas were increased by the fall of darkness, the moun
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.