THE HIPPOPOTAMUS, OR RIVER HORSE 



rush into some nearby water. Once there, he feels safe 

 again, and if the water is that of a good-sized lake or 

 large river, he is soon practically out of harm's way, for 

 although the hippo has to put his nose up over the sur- 

 face of the water to breathe, at least every two or three 

 minutes, he usually does this with such rapidity, when 

 alarmed, that it is exceedingly difficult to get a shot 

 at him. 



The only method of instantly killing a hippo is to shoot 

 him through the brain and, as under ordinary circum- 

 stances, the whole head of the hippo is exposed over the 

 water ; this is very easy indeed, unless the wary river horse 

 knows that he is in danger. Then he is so cunning that 

 an accurate shot is almost impossible, for the hippo is 

 able to place his body at such an angle to the surface that, 

 when he is exhaling the foul air, or inhaling the fresh, he 

 only shows the mere nostrils above the water, and the 

 upper vulnerable part of the head is held sufficiently low 

 so as to make a shot of no efifect at all. Another trick that 

 the wary monster plays is this: Instead of exhaling and 

 inhaling in quick succession as he usually does, giving the 

 hunter thus two or three seconds in which to turn in the 

 right direction and shoot, he just barely brings the nos- 

 trils to the surface of the water and " pufifs " out the foul 

 air, only to disappear instantly. Then he moves a few 

 yards away in another direction, before he raises his nos- 

 trils again, this time a trifle higher, to take a deep breath 

 of fresh air, before he again sinks out of sight. 



It certainly is most remarkable how well the hippo is 

 able to deceive his pursuers when in his favorable ele- 

 ment, the water. After he has breathed in a place as 



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