A Herd of Giraffe. 325 



for the brute's determination and ferocity which alone 

 kept him alive as long as it did. 



The men took out their knives, and were com- 

 mencing to cut up the slain, when we were startled by 

 hearing snorting, and, looking round, there was a full- 

 grown hippoo coming at us at a lumbering gallop ! 

 The natives spread, each running a different route. I 

 dropped close alongside of the enormous carcase by 

 me, and the pachyderm singling out the shikarie 

 went for him open-mouthed. He did not see me, 

 but passed within ten yards. I fired, first the "bone 

 smasher" and then both barrels of the Express at not 

 more than twenty yards' distance, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the monster roll over after 

 running a short way. Back came the natives, 

 and after a hurried consultation, two went off full 

 pelt, whilst the third commenced to cut up one of 

 the animals, swallowing at the same time great 

 pieces of raw meat and fat. There was not much 

 more than an hour or so of daylight left, when the 

 natives who had so suddenly disappeared, returned 

 accompanied by about fifty others. Whilst some 

 shouldered the meat which had already been cut, 

 and made for camp, the others remained behind to 

 complete the quartering. I did not get back to my 

 tent till 8.30 P.M., very much done up, but a cold 

 bath and a good dinner and a bottle of lager made 

 a new man of me, and it was arranged that our 

 shikarie and I were to start about 3 A.M., and the 

 rest were to follow later on, and meet us at some 

 rendezvous, agreed upon between them. By day- 

 break we were close by the place where the encounter 

 with the hippoos had yesterday taken place. We 



