XI FINE TROOP OF GIRAFFES 217 



However, I was ready, and planted a ball fair in her 

 chest, when she stopped, and, turning, went off at 

 right angles, holding her head high, but, before 

 having gone a hundred yards, she suddenly fell dead, 

 the last shot having pierced her heart. 



Thus ended one of the best days I ever had with 

 elephants ; and, as regards numbers, quite the best 

 up to that time, for never before had I shot more 

 than four to my own gun out of one herd. The 

 tusks of the two young bulls weighed 25 lbs. and 

 14 lbs. respectively, and the cow I first shot was 

 particularly fine, her tusks weighing over 1 7 lbs. 

 apiece. 



It was now much too late in the afternoon to 

 think of chopping out the tusks, so having cut out 

 the heart of one of the cows for myself, and the 

 inside fat of all the five (this was soon done by 

 sending two Kafirs to each elephant), we started for 

 the river, and reached our camp near the lagoon 

 about two hours after dark. 



Soon after leaving the dead elephants we sighted 

 a fine troop of giraffes — one of the most beautiful 

 ornaments of South African forests — and not long 

 afterwards a large herd of elands (all cows) ; both 

 these animals abound in this dry and sandy, yet 

 thickly wooded country. 



On reaching camp I was surprised to see a dozen 

 fires, and on coming up found about twenty of 

 my canoe friends, who, either not believing in the 

 reported raid of Sipopo or having trusted their 

 goods and chattels to the care of friends, had again 

 followed me for meat. Of this I was very glad, for 

 I knew that now not a particle of the five elephants 

 would be wasted, for these men would establish two 

 camps, and carry meat and water backwards and 



