TO LAKE NAIVASHA 
215 
my hippo. We steamed down the lake, not far from the 
shore, for over ten miles, dragging the big, clumsy row¬ 
boat, in which Cuninghame had put three of our porters 
who knew how to row. Then we spied a big hippo walk¬ 
ing entirely out of water on the edge of the papyrus, at the 
farther end of a little bay which was filled with water- 
lilies. Thither we steamed, and when a few' rods from 
the bay, Cuninghame, Kermit, and I got into the row-boat; 
Cuninghame steered, Kermit carried his camera, and I 
steadied myself in the bow with the little Springfield rifle. 
The hippo was a self-confident, truculent beast; it went 
under water once or twice, but again came out to the papy¬ 
rus and waded along the edge, its body out of water. We 
headed toward it, and thrust the boat in among the water- 
lilies, finding that the bay was shallow, from three to six 
feet deep. While still over a hundred yards from the 
hippo, I saw it turn as if to break into the papyrus, and at 
once fired into its shoulder, the tiny pointed bullet smash¬ 
ing the big bones. Round spun the great beast, plunged 
into the water, and with its huge jaws open came straight 
for the boat, floundering and splashing through the thick¬ 
growing water-lilies. I think that its chief object was to 
get to deep water; but we were between it and the deep 
water, and instead of trying to pass to one side it charged 
straight for the boat, with open jaws, bent on mischief. 
But I hit it again and again with the little sharp-pointed 
bullet. Once I struck it between neck and shoulder; once, 
as it rushed forward with its huge jaws stretched to their 
threatening utmost, I fired right between them, whereat 
it closed them with the clash of a sprung bear trap; and 
then, when under the punishment it swerved for a mo- 
