CH. IV] A BULL GIRAFFE 95 



country round about witli our glasses, and made out 

 first a herd of eland, a mile in our rear, and then three 

 giraffes a mile and a half in our front. 1 wanted a bull 

 eland, but I wanted a giraffe still more, and we mounted 

 our horses and rode toward where the three tall beasts 

 stood, on an open hill-side with trees thinly scattered 

 over it. Half a mile from them we left the horses in a 

 thick belt of timber beside a dry watercourse, and went 

 forward on foot. 



There was no use in trying a stalk, for that would 

 merely have aroused the giraffe's suspicion. But we 

 knew they were accustomed to the passing and repassing 

 of Wakamba men and women, whom they did not fear 

 if they kept at a reasonable distance, so we walked in 

 single file diagonally in their direction ; that is, toward 

 a tree which I judged to be about three hundred yards 

 from them. I was carrying the Winchester loaded with 

 full metal-patched bullets. I wished to get for the 

 JNIuseum both a bull and a cow. One of the three 

 giraffes was much larger than the other two, and as he 

 was evidently a bull I thought the two others were 

 cows. 



As we reached the tree the giraffes showed symptoms 

 of uneasiness. One of the smaller ones began to make 

 off, and both the others shifted their positions slightly, 

 curling their tails. I instantly dropped on my knee, 

 and getting the bead just behind the big bull's shoulder, 

 I fired with the three-hundred-yard sight. I heard the 

 " pack " of the bullet as it struck just where I aimed , 

 and away went all three giraffes at their queer rocking- 

 horse canter, llunning forward I emptied my magazine, 

 firing at the big bull and also at one of his smaller com- 

 panions, and then, slipping into the barrel what proved 

 to be a soft-nosed bullet, I fired at the latter again. 



