274 Ikinss of tbe 1Rofc, 1Rffle t anfc (Bun 



from the wound, her colossal limbs quivered for a 

 moment, and she expired. 



I had little time to contemplate the prize I had won. 

 Night was setting in, and it was very questionable if I 

 should succeed in regaining my waggons ; so having 

 cut off the tail of the giraffe, which was adorned with 

 a bushy tuft of flowing black hair, I took ' one last fond 

 look/ and rode hard for the spoor of the waggons, which 

 I succeeded in reaching just as it was dark. 



No pen nor words can convey to a sportsman what 

 it is to ride in the midst of a troop of gigantic giraffes : 

 it must be experienced to be understood. They emitted 

 a powerful perfume, which in the chase came hot in my 

 face, reminding me of the smell of a hive of heather 

 honey in September." 



Gordon Gumming was a firm believer in the effect of 

 the human voice on wild animals. He tried it on one 

 occasion upon a lioness whom he disturbed as she was 

 gorging herself upon a blesbok, just after a tropical 

 thunderstorm. On lifting her head and observing the 

 hunter, the lioness promptly cantered off, hotly pursued 

 by Gordon Gumming on horseback, and the sequel I will 

 leave him to tell. 



" The lioness having had a long start of me, we went 

 over a considerable extent of ground before I came up 

 with her. She was a large full grown beast, and the 

 bare and level nature of the plain added to her imposing 

 appearance. Finding that I gained upon her, she re- 

 duced her pace from a canter to a trot, carrying her 

 tail stuck out behind her, and slewed a little to one 

 side. / shouted loudly to her to halt as I wished to speak 



