172 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



walking; stalking was an impossibility, and I was pre- 

 pared either to manoeuvre for a shot on foot, or to ride 

 them, as circumstances might determine. I carried the 

 little Springfield, being desirous of testing the small, solid, 

 sharp-pointed army bullet on the big beasts. As I rode, 

 a wildebeest bull played around me within two hundred 

 yards, prancing, flourishing his tail, tossing his head and 

 uttering his grunting bellow; it almost seemed as if he knew 

 I would not shoot at him, or as if for the moment he had 

 been infected with the absurd tameness which the giraffe 

 showed. 



There were seven giraffes, a medium-sized bull, four 

 cows, and two young ones; and, funnily enough, the young 

 ones were by far the shyest and most suspicious. I did 

 not want to kill a bull unless it was exceptionally large; 

 whereas I did want two cows and a young one, for the 

 museum. When quarter of a mile away I dismounted, 

 threw the reins over Tranquillity's head whereat the good 

 placid old fellow at once began grazing and walked di- 

 agonally toward the biggest cow, which was ahead of the 

 others. The tall, handsome ungainly creatures were noth- 

 ing like as shy as the smaller game had shown themselves 

 that morning, and of course they offered such big targets 

 that three hundred yards was a fair range for them. At 

 two hundred and sixty yards I fired at the big cow as she 

 stood almost facing me, twisting and curling her tail. The 

 bullet struck fair and she was off at a hurried, clumsy 

 gallop. I gave her another bullet, but it was not neces- 

 sary, and down she went. The second cow, a fine young 

 heifer, was now cantering across my front, and with two 

 more shots I got her; the sharp-pointed bullets penetrating 



