A SUCCESSFUL SHOT 133 



the water as they drove her against the strong current, 

 edging over for the opposite bank. The tapir was 

 coming down-stream at a great rate, only its queer 

 head above water, while the dugouts were closing rapidly 

 on it, the paddlers uttering loud cries. As the tapir 

 turned slightly to one side or the other the long, slightly 

 upturned snout and the strongly pronounced arch of the 

 crest along the head and upper neck gave it a marked 

 and unusual aspect. I could not shoot, for it was 

 directly in line with one of the pursuing dugouts. 

 Suddenly it dived, the snout being slightly curved 

 downward as it did so. There was no trace of it ; we 

 gazed eagerly in all directions ; the dugout in front 

 came alongside our canoe and the paddlers rested, their 

 paddles ready. Then we made out the tapir clambering 

 up the bank. It had dived at right angles to the course 

 it was following and swum under water to the very edge 

 of the shore, rising under the over-hanging tree-branches 

 at a point where a drinking-trail for game led down a 

 break in the bank. The branches partially hid it, and 

 it was in deep shadow, so that it did not offer a very 

 good shot. My bullet went into its body too far back, 

 and the tapir disappeared in the forest at a gallop as if 

 unhurt, although the bullet really secured it, by making 

 it unwilling to trust to its speed and leave the neigh- 

 bourhood of the water. Three or four of the hounds 

 were by this time SAvimming the river, leaving the 

 others yelling on the opposite side ; and as soon as the 

 swimmers reached the shore they were put on the tapir's 

 trail and galloped after it, giving tongue. In a couple 

 of minutes we saw the tapir take to the water far up- 

 stream, and after it we went as fast as the paddles could 

 urge us through the water. We were not in time to 

 head it, but fortunately some of the dogs had come 



