" HIPPOS " 159 



ing on the surface with only part of their backs 

 and their heads visible, but often we saw them 

 standing in the shallow water, huddled together 

 on a bar or on an island, or lying in groups on 

 the bank sunning themselves. 



Whenever we came suddenly upon them they 

 would scurry into deep water and sink out of 

 sight, but when there was a long stretch of 

 water and they were floating they could see 

 the boats in the distance and would raise their 

 great heads to get a better view. As we drew 

 near they disappeared, coming to the surface 

 once more some distance away. 



Sometimes they would go down and come up 

 just as we were passing, not twenty feet away. 

 On seeing the boats their surprise was so great 

 that they often threw their bodies quite out of 

 water, and, falling back with a mighty splash 

 that sent huge waves washing against the craft, 

 disappeared, and were next seen several hundred 

 yards in the rear. 



There is no doubt that we could have killed 

 twenty-five or thirty hippos on the way from 

 Lake Albert to "Rhino Camp " and three 

 times as many during our two weeks' stay in 

 camp. The colonel and Kermit had killed all 



