fferent from that which he had
been pursuing. It evidently came from a considerable distance. Nick
felt there was no time to be lost, and hurried along with all the speed
he could command, though the long grass much impeded his progress. As
he turned the corner of a thick mass of shrubs, he saw a figure which he
recognised as that of De Walden advancing towards him, and holding up
his hand, urging him, as he supposed, to rejoin the party as quickly as
he could. He started accordingly at a run, but had not advanced many
yards when his foot caught against some obstacle which threw him forward
on his face. At the same moment there was a whirring noise, followed by
a loud crash, and some heavy object struck the ground within a yard of
him. Almost immediately afterwards he heard De Walden's voice.

"Another escape, Master Nick. I wonder how many more you mean to have
before you rejoin your friends. If you had as many lives as a cat, you
would lose them all at this rate."

Nick got up, rubbing the green mud from his elbows and knees, and
staring in wonder at the object the fall of which had so astonished him.
An examination of it did not tend to remove his perplexity. It was a
large heavy piece of wood, shaped evidently by the axe, so as to
resemble a rude arrow, but as thick as the mast of a large cutter. To
the end of this was attached an iron head of a corresponding size. It
had penetrated deep into the ground, and would have been sufficient to
shatter Nick's skull like an icicle if it had come in contact with it.
"Whatever can that be?" he exclaimed; "and how came it up there?"

"A hippopotamus trap," said the missionary; "and it is a good job that
it has not proved a man trap too. You must not leave your companions in
this wild country, Nick, or even your good luck won't keep you out of
trouble. I noticed the trap as we passed, and then perceived a minute
or two afterwards that you were not with us. It is fortunate I turned
back and called you. If you hadn't been running fast it might have
caught your head, or at all events your leg."

By this time they were rejoined by the rest of the party, and De Walden
proceeded to explain to the boys the curious construction of the machine
from which Nick had had so narrow an escape. It was common enough, he
told them, in the neighbourhood of the haunts of the hippopotamus. The
stem of a young tree, a foot or so in diameter, was cut off at the
length of about fou