XIX TWO GIRAFFES SHOT 419 



last, however, I got hold of him again, and once more 

 took up the chase of the wounded giraffe, which all 

 this time had been walking and cantering alternately, 

 and was now nearly a mile away, and hard by the 

 thick thorn-bush. Just, however, as she reached the 

 bush I was up with her once more, and despatched 

 her with another bullet. As she fell, I saw the bull 

 in front of her, that I suppose had been waiting for 

 her within the shelter of the thorn thicket, and as we 

 wanted meat at the waggons, I killed him too. Then 

 after having cut out the tongues, and left my saddle- 

 cloth suspended on a stake to keep the vultures away 

 from the cow, which was nice and fat, I rode back 

 into the turf flat to look after my boys and the lions. 

 I thought that by this time they would have nearly 

 skinned them, and was much disgusted, when at last 

 I found them, to hear that they had not seen the 

 lions at all. However, knowing pretty well where 

 they were, I rode straight to them, and we then set 

 to work and skinned them. By this time the sun 

 was almost down, and as it had been very hot, and 

 neither myself, my Kafirs, nor my horse had drunk 

 anything since daylight, we were all very thirsty ; so 

 packing the two reeking lion-skins on Bob, with the 

 great heads and paws intact, I led him back to the 

 waggons, which we did not reach till some time after 

 dark, resolving to fetch the meat of the giraffes on 

 the following day. The skins of these two lions 

 measured 10 feet 9 inches and 10 feet 10 inches 

 respectively. They were in beautiful condition, and 

 very massive and heavy. 



A (gw days later than this I had a sharp attack of 

 fever, from which I was recovering, when, early one 

 morning, I heard some of my Kafirs say, " There's a 

 white man," and looking up, was much surprised to 



