THE FIRST GIRAFFE HUNT. 365 



the ball, however, seemed to have little effect. I then placed 

 myself directly in front, when she came to a walk. Dis- 

 mounting, I hastily loaded both barrels, putting in double 

 charges of powder. Before this was accomplished she was 

 off" at a canter. In a short time I brought her to a stand 

 in the dry bed of a water-course, where I fired at fifteen 

 yards, aiming where I thought the heart lay, upon which she 

 again made off. Having loaded, I followed, and had very 

 nearly lost her ; she had turned abruptly to the left, and 

 was far out of sight among the trees. Once more I brought 

 her to a stand, and dismounted from my horse. There we 

 stood together alone in the wild wood. I gazed in wonder 

 at her extreme beauty, while her soft, dark eye, with its 

 silky fringe, looked down imploringly at me, and I really felt 

 a pang of sorrow in this moment of triumph for the blood I 

 was shedding. Pointing my rifle toward the skies, I sent a 

 bullet through her neck. On receiving it, she reared high 

 on her hind legs, and fell backward with a heavy crash, 

 making the earth shake around her. A thick stream of dark 

 blood spouted out 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 fast setting in, and it was very questionable if 

 I should succeed in regaining my wagons ; 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 wagons, 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. 

 The greater part of this chase led through bushes of the 

 wait-a-bit thorn of the most virulent description, which 



