298 HUNTING THE GIRAFFE. 



climate and the rough surface of the ground make the use of horses well 

 nigh impossible. The large, lustrous eye commands a wide angle of vision, 

 and the leading bull or cow is constantly on the lookout while the herd rests 

 in the shade of the tree. A switch of the long tail warns the herd and it 

 seeks safety in immediate flight. The animal's pace is a peculiar gallop, the 

 fore and hind legs of the same side moving at the same time. 



No wonder, then, if the Colonel was disappointed in his first attempt to 

 slay this enormous beast. The next day, however, he set out again, accom- 

 panied by his hospitable host, Captain Slatter, and this time was successful. 

 They came on a small troop of giraffes browsing in an acacia grove. A 

 swift bullet from the former President's Winchester struck the biggest bull 

 and off the whole herd went with the speed of an express train. And now 

 began an exciting chase along the velt for several hours, for our Rough 

 Rider had made up his mind not tO' let his victim escape him this time. 

 Riding at full speed along a rocky ground, full of wart-hog holes and other 

 pitfalls, he sent bullet upon bullet after the fleeing animals. The largest 

 bull at last came down, and after another hour's wild chase one more of 

 the herd, a smaller bull, was added to the Smithsonian collection of rare and 

 valuable specimens. 



Mr. Edmund Heller at once began preparing the skins of the animals. 

 This is a very difficult task, especially in this case, one of the specimens 

 being an old bull, because large quantities of salt and alum were needed, and 

 large vessels for the impregnation of the skins. This is the reason that so 

 few museums possess skins of full-grown bull giraffes like those our Na- 

 tional Museum now has, thanks to our ex-President's untiring efforts. 

 These skins grow, naturally, more and more valuable the rarer the animals 

 become. The natives kill thousands of these inoffensive animals every year 

 for European traders, who pay from twenty to thirty dollars apiece for the 

 skins. Mr. Roosevelt, therefore, realized that it was high time to secure 

 these skins for America; for, in spite of all protective laws, the giraffe will 

 soon be counted among the extinct races of animals. 



Hundreds of giraffes are killed by lions, against which they are com- 

 paratively defenseless, the only weapon of defense they use being their heels. 

 The powerful kick of the bull giraffe is apt to keep a lion at a respectable 

 distance. He is even able to shake off his enemy and run away from him, 

 and where other game is plentiful the lion will leave the giraffe alone. 

 Nevertheless giraffes are often killed by lions, between whose teeth and the 

 human hunter he will not escape destruction. 



