400 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



insufficient water for the oxen, had to trek on again. 

 However, as the Bushmen said there were giraffes in 

 the bush near at hand, and two of them offered to go 

 with us and look for some. Miller and I saddled up 

 the horses, and sending the waggons on in charge of 

 Sell, went out with our two dusky guides. We had 

 ridden for a little more than an hour, straight away 

 from the river, when we espied a single old giraffe bull 

 and at once gave chase. As I was very much better 

 mounted than Miller, I was soon alone with the bull, 

 the bush being very thorny and awkward to ride 

 through. I gave the giraffe four shots, and then, 

 seeing that he was done for, galloped round him, 

 upon which he stood reeling under a tree, and I was 

 just pulling my horse in, when a lion, a lioness, and 

 two half-grown cubs jumped out of the bushes just 

 in front of me and trotted slowly away. Just at this 

 moment, too, I saw four stately giraffe cows walk 

 out of the bush in single file about 500 yards ahead. 

 The lion, after trotting a few paces, turned round, 

 and stood, broadside on, looking at me, offering a 

 splendid shot. I was on the ground in a moment, 

 and gave him a bullet just behind the shoulder. 

 With a growl he galloped away for about 100 

 yards, and then rolled over on his side, stone dead. 

 I just rode up to assure myself of the fact, and then 

 galloped on after the giraffe cows, for I had good 

 hopes that they would be fat, whereas I knew that 

 the meat of the old stink-bull would only be good 

 for the Bushmen. I soon shot two of the cows and 

 then waited until Miller came up, when we proceeded 

 to cut them up. One of them was in splendid con- 

 dition, and kept us in fat for a month to come. 

 Miller had ridden right on to the lioness and cubs, 

 but his horse would not let him fire. After a bit the 



