We approached a low rise, and as he drew near the top of that he went down on hands and knees, crawling up the last few yards so cautiously that I had to stare hard to be sure he was there at all.
As soon as Fred came near he made frantic signals to him to get down and crawl too; so we all knelt down and crawled behind Fred, striving to make no noise and filling the unhappy chief so full of fury at the noise we did make that he writhed in nervous torment.
On top of the rise Fred stopped and in imitation of the chief thrust his head forward very gradually.

One by one we followed suit until, lying prone in line along the ridge within thirty paces of the water, we saw at last what we were after.
Bathed in the moonlight, head and shoulders clear of the mirror-like water, a great bull hippopotamus surveyed the scenery, drinking in contentment through his little placid eyes.

Out there nothing troubled him, as for instance the mosquitoes troubled us.

He had eaten his fill, for some sort of green stuff hung from his jaws; and he was beginning to feel sleepy, for he opened his enormous mouth and yawned straight toward us--three tons of meat on the hoof, less than a hundred yards away, stock-still, and unsuspicious! The chief began whispering unintelligible warnings in a voice so low that it sounded like the drone of insects.

Fred thrust the rifle forward inch by inch and, taking his time about it, settled himself comfortably for the shot.