328 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



the left into horrible ground, so densely covered with 

 thorny jungle that it was only possible to traverse it 

 by following on the trail. As very many of the bushes 

 closed again after he had forced a passage through ; 

 it was very ticklish work, and I did not half like it, 

 but I coveted the head, so waiting until the shikarie 

 appeared, and giving him the Equatorial and making 

 signs to him to keep close, I led the way with the 

 '577 1 in hand, full cocked. Two of the Africans had 

 turned up ; telling them to flay the giraffe, and then 

 to look for the wounded one, I went on very slowly, 

 stopping every moment to peer ahead as well as I could, 

 and to listen. But I got out of the low jungle and 

 had entered another with " baubul " trees only, which 

 were about seven feet high, the lower branches inter- 

 mingled, so the leaves formed a crown above, and the 

 whole made almost a canopy overhead. Here I could 

 see a little way in front, but still did not hurry forward. 

 I had gone perhaps half a mile ; there was a dry 

 rivulet, the bed being about three feet lower than 

 the banks, which were composed of some friable black- 

 looking very dry earth. I kept as near the edge as 

 was safe and followed the trail, on which lay patches 

 of frothy blood a sure sign that he was shot through 

 the lungs. If I had had any sense, I ought to have 

 waited till next day, and then have followed, with the 

 certainty of finding him dead. That, I think, was 

 the opinion of the shikarie, for he kept lagging 

 behind as soon as he ascertained from the footmarks 

 that I was following this dangerous beast. About 

 fifty yards ahead the dry rivulet took a sharp turn 



1 One of Westley Richard s's best weapons, which won the 

 Grand Prix at Paris. 



