For a while they remained massed together in the water, or under it, making a most horrible noise.

Then of a sudden they seemed to take a resolution.

A few of them broke back towards the burning reeds, the screaming beaters and the advancing canoes.

One of these, indeed, a wounded bull, charged a canoe, crushed it in its huge jaws and killed the rower, how exactly I do not know, for his body was never found.

The majority of them, however, took another counsel, for emerging from the water on either side, they began to scramble towards us along the steep banks, or even to climb up them with surprising agility.