232 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA, 



The sensations which. I felt on this occasion were 

 different from any thing that I had before experienced 

 during a long sporting career. My senses were so ab- 

 sorbed by the wondrous and beautiful sight before me 

 that I rode along like one entranced, and felt inclined 

 to disbelieve that I was hunting living things of this 

 world. The ground was firm and favorable for riding. 

 At every stride I gained upon the giraffes, and after a 

 short burst at a swinging gallop I was in the middle 

 of them, and turned the finest cow out of the herd. 

 On finding herself driven from her comrades and hotly 

 pursued, she increased her pace, and cantered along 

 with tremendous strides, clearing an amazing extent 

 of ground at every bound ; while her neck and breast, 

 coming in contact with the dead old branches of the 

 trees, were continually strewing them in my path. In 

 a few minutes I was riding within five yards of her 

 stern, and, firing at the gallop, I sent a bullet into her 

 back. Increasing my pace, I next rode alongside, and, 

 placing the muzzle of my rifle within a few feet of her, 

 I fired my second shot behind the shoulder ; the ball, 

 however, seemed to have little effect. I then placed 

 myself directly in front, when she came to a walk. 

 > Dismounting, I hastily loaded both barrels, putting in 

 double charges of powder. Before this was accomplish- 

 ed she was off at a canter. In a short time I brought 

 her to a stand in the dry bed of a water-course, where 

 I fired at fifteen yards, aiming where I thought the 

 heart lay, upon which she again made off. Having 

 loaded, I followed, and had very nearly lost her ; she 

 had turned abruptly to the left, and was far out of 

 sight among the trees. Once more I brought her to a 

 stand, and dismounted from my horse. There we 

 stood together alone in the wild wood. I gazed in 



