The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-17
4 Pair Of HippopOtamuses.

but one, and only one, IN the GUN
try, ma'am; a beauty, isn't hep" said
the keeper, holding q bunch of fodder.
Then he laughed in a pleased, subdued
sort Of a way, as if it was an excellent
joke.
He knows me, ma'am, and will come
when I call, though ever so sleepy; and
they doze mostly all daytime. Their
home ways, in their own country, is to
travel round nights. procession-like,
half Il dozen together. the mothers with
the one baby following close: in that
way they show their %sociability with
their kin, visiting rivers and fountains,
being always particular to have a patri-
arch to lead"
Have a bite, my beauty?' called the
keeper, with enticing voice; and the
huge beast bestirred his %ponderous
frame, turning the funny little sleepy
eyes toward his friend. Here, Bunt,
have a scratch?" and with that an ex-
ceedingly coarse brush was thrust be-
tween the bars. The burly. quadruped
lowered his ungainly phiz and secured
the coveted petting. Hell give up any
contrary fit for such a rub, ma'am. If l
can only get his eye upon the brush, I'm
sure of him."
Slowly munching his lunch, the crea-
ture moved the massive. elongated. trl-
angular head, the queer bits of eyes peer
ing out ~inquiringly, yet with a most
"don't-matter-to-men air, almost pa
thetic in its expression of loneliness.
Hes an ashen one, ~lady-young, too;
but he can king it over the old one oppo-
80, =, Id yoforop S.ono Indian inn Ulac
and nigh onto twenty years old; black as
Egypt. too, rs you'll see."
"Here, Nimrod, speak to the lady;
show your manners" and the kindly
keeper gave the slowly rising " hunter"
II gentle poke. then hurriedly placed be-
fore him his usual rations. A strange
eutteral sound-a sort of underground
"thankee"-the accredited vernacular
of this Misunderstanding family, was
euphoniously snorted out, after which
he addressed himself to his meal.
"Nimrod, ma'am, is a one-horner, as
we keepers say; now Blunt has two, but
I can't rouse his ambition if l tell him Of
it fifty times a day; he Just don't realize
how much higher up Che scale he is than
his black grown-up cousin. Eating and
sleeping is all they care for. Bunt's
slow-paced and cumbersome, and needs
q heap o'care; he's growing, and snoozes
the whole continuous time. leastWlse
he's at it 'cept when / rouse him for his
constitutional. His teeth keep him I'm
easy and fretting now and then-it's the
age for that-but like these two horned
creatures better'n the trunk ones over
yonder," pointing to crowd ofelephants.
Blunt was now fully reused; he even
condescended to acknowledge my pres
ence, and settling himself for good behav-
ior, was very gracious to passers-by.
Those wonderful horns! often more than
two feet in length; what weapons of Of
fence they were! The hinder one, 1noted,
was shorter than that in front, and less
curved both were smooth and pyramidal
in form. They appeared as if resting
upon the upper surface OF the muzzle;
sometimes they obstruct the vision. but
what necessary forces they become when
the burly owner is attacked by enemies,
or deep brushwood or tangled forests are
to be traversed! Very little hair had
Blunt, or his duskier comrade NimrOd; 4
few bristling spikes edged the erect, deli
cately pointed ears, and Il lively little
bunch supplemented the brief tail, look
iur for all the world like II pretty dust
brush tied on. The legs, short and stout.
were not models OF grace, but sturdy
travellers. The three big broad toes were
significantly stout Mnd we'll developed
for n baby-a rhinocerOs baby, | mean.
Nimrod's skin, rough and tough, laid over
his shoulders like great folds of parch:
ment, but then he was q veteran. and
beyond caring for looks; in Blunt there
was an utter absence of this overlapping,
but he was and fair.
Such abide rs Nimrod sported would
find q ready market anywhere for the
manufacture of walking-sticks and from
the horns, often beautiful through much
polishing against trees. would be FASH
toned lovely boxes and Advantageous;
indeed, Eastern nations affirm that
through their use the presence of poison
can be discovered A great s%atirist, liv-
ing A. ID. 40, mentioned in his poems that
the noble ladies of his day were wont to
use these horns rs cases for their essence,
bottles and oils-very convenient dress
lg-cascs. to be sure, and could be siung
I'm girdlr or belt if desired.
=, Thcv were greatly counted on among
tiLLJi:S.icnts, | believe, ma'am?" said the
Gn!lsn, keeper, with IL half-supprcssed
"oh' answered, glad enoughto
h hnd my hsc a,'' c~opowledge where SO much
the t'yu old ,GII' omaiffsoasIy given a.n".3 ;, YES yes!
P It'rlaps, ven r'Sshydeir !, ;at. fam fhm lily.
Gus, and, strangely ea nea. IL II ihtu ua esie h em-
orcd with II place d the h;.,mnhal nro.
ccssion Of Augustuspnd Cleolatra 'The
dull looking crcatue was also ,.on,n.
scented on the coirsof the pfriodPHl,c
two.hnrncI ones, ncan-for, now SO
rarr, they seem to hac been best known
then. Then for II log time nli knowl-
edge of tlrom was LIT; but when the
Portuguese opened thevay to the Indies
by the Cape of tioodHope they were
again found. and in lGsintroduced into
eros birdsp No? Well they are the
best friends of these scpy animals.
They find their living on cir backs, for
swnrrus of tick and othclparasitic in
srctS congrcgate on the ro,h skin, and
in return for such ample r:thns keep m
=. eve out II enemies, and nth shrin
nT;nc nnvar iIi| tn Waken 'U,,,l-,,,,