le you to
Kossa?"

"My word," said von Gobendorff, "is law."

To add greater emphasis to his words he produced his automatic pistol.
The argument was conclusive. With every indication of fear the two
natives pushed off, and seizing the paddles they propelled the unwieldy
craft down stream.

Compared with his previous mode of travelling the Hun found the journey
bordering almost upon the luxurious. He would have preferred a
cushion, a double helmet and a sun-umbrella with a canopy thrown in,
but reflecting that he was fortunate in being able to tackle the Kiwa
without having to resort to swimming, he endured the glare with
comparative equanimity.

Concerning the perils of the rapids he decided to take his chances. It
was just possible that the Birwas had lied, hoping to deter him from
his purpose. That they were fairly experienced in the art of canoeing
was evident by the way in which they skilfully avoided the numerous
hippopotami, their broad-bladed paddles entering the water without the
faintest suspicion of a splash.

Whenever, as frequently happened, the canoe passed a native village von
Gobendorff, no doubt with the loss of a certain amount of prestige,
took up a position at full length at the bottom of the canoe, strictly
warning his boatmen that they were to maintain absolute silence as far
as his presence was concerned.

The canoe had barely passed a small collection of huts when the two
Birwas began to jabber vociferously, pointing at an object a hundred
yards ahead.

"Why this noise?" demanded von Gobendorff, who understood the cause of
the conversation. "You have passed dozens of 'river-cows' before?"

"This one is awake and furious," replied one of the natives. "We
sought to keep to the bank, and the animal has seen us."

The Hun sat up and drew his pistol. A brief glance on either hand
showed that there were no signs of escape by running the canoe ashore.
The banks were here quite twenty feet in height, precipitous and topped
with dense vegetation. There was deep water close to land, while in
mid-stream a mud-bank just showed above the swirling current.

"Go on!" he ordered.

The men plied their paddles vigorously. Although the
heavily-constructed canoe was incapable of any great speed, and was
also undermanned, the commotion of the paddles and the frantic shouts
of the two blacks made up for the lack of manoeuvring powers. The
hippo dived. The canoe shot past.

Von Gobendorff br