Chap. XIX.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 157 



headlong — my horse having fallen into a pit, and 

 lodged me close to an ostrich's nest, in which the 

 old birds were sitting. 



There were no bones broken, but the violence of 

 the shock had caused the lashings of my rifle to give 

 way, and had doubled it in half — the barrels only 

 now hanging to the stock by the trigger guard. 

 Nothing dismayed by this heavy calamity, I re- 

 mounted my jaded beast, and one more effort brought 

 me ahead of my wearied victim, which stood still 

 and allowed me to approach. In vain I attempted 

 to bind my fractured rifle with a pocket handker- 

 chief, in order to admit of my administering the 

 coup de grace — it was so bent that the hammer could 

 not by any means be brought down upon the 

 nipple. In vain I looked around for a stone, and 

 sought in every pocket for my knife, with which to 

 strike the copper cap, and bring about ignition, or 

 hamstring the colossal bvit harmless animal, by 

 whose side I appeared the veriest pigmy in the 

 creation — alas ! I had lent it to the Hottentots to cut 

 off the head of the hartebeest. Vainly did I wait 

 for the tardy and rebellious villains to come to my 

 assistance, making the welkin ring, and my throat 

 tingle, with reiterated shouts — not a soul appeared 

 — and, in a few minutes the giraffe having recovered 

 his wind, and being only slightly wounded in the 

 hind quarters, shuffled his long legs — twisted his 

 tail over his back — walked a few steps — then broke 

 into a gallop, and diving into the mazes of the 

 forest, disappeared from my sight. Disappointed 



