these animals to flee from a foe. They only make
for the water without regard to the position of the enemy.

On the first alarm, therefore, the three hippopotami started for the
lagoon, going at a heavy rolling pace, and much faster than might have
been supposed possible for creatures of such ungainly shape. As they
ran in a direct line, the hunters were compelled to glide out of their
way, or run the risk of being trodden under foot.

Hans and Groot Willem were together; and, as soon as the broad side of a
hippopotamus came fairly before them, both fired at the same beast,
taking aim behind the shoulder. Hendrik and Arend fired about at the
same time at another.

Onward rolled the immense masses towards the river, but before reaching
it the one to which Hans and Willem had devoted their attention was seen
to go unsteadily and with less speed. Before arriving at the bank, it
gave a heavy lurch, like a water-logged ship, and fell over upon its
side. Two or three abortive efforts were made to recover its feet, but
these soon subsided into a tremulous quivering of its huge frame, that
ended in the stillness of death.

Its two companions plunged into the water, leaving Hendrik and Arend a
little chagrined by the failure of their first attempt at killing a
hippopotamus.

Hans and Groot Willem had no pretensions to military prowess, and the
first was generally absorbed in some subject connected with his
botanical researches. But he could claim his share in killing a
hippopotamus under circumstances no more favourable than the two who had
allowed their game to escape.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

HIPPOPOTAMI.

Herodotus, Aristotle, Diodorus, and Pliny have all given descriptions
more or less correct of the hippopotamus, river-horse, or zeekoe
(sea-cow) of the South African Dutch.

So great has been the interest taken in this animal, of which European
people have long read, but never until lately seen, that the Zoological
Society cleared 10,000 pounds in the year of the Great Exhibition of
1851, by their specimens exhibited in the gardens at Regent's Park.

Hippopotami procured from Northern Africa were not uncommon in the Roman
spectacles. Afterwards, the knowledge of them became lost to Europe for
several hundred years; and, according to the authority of several
writers, they entirely disappeared from the Nile.

Several centuries after they had been shown in Rome and Constantinople,
it was stated that hippopot