WHO'S WHO IN JUNGLELAND 243 



quite a common thing to run across groups of these 

 strange-looking animals browsing among the trees. 



One is not allowed to kill a giraffe except under 

 a special license, which costs one hundred and fifty 

 rupees, or fifty dollars. One of our party had a 

 commission to secure a specimen for a collector and 

 had been unsuccessful in getting it. That circum- 

 stance led to an amusing adventure that I had with 

 a giant giraffe. One day, with my gunbearers, I 

 had ridden out from camp in search of wild pigs. 

 Ten minutes after leaving camp I drew rein hastily, 

 for off to my left and in front a lone giraffe of 

 great size and of splendid black color was slowly 

 careening along toward me. If he continued in 

 his course and did not see us he would pass within 

 a hundred yards of me. So I hastily but quietly 

 dismounted to try for a photograph as he passed. 



A moment or two later he saw me for the first 

 time and at once swung into a funny trot. I took 

 the picture, and then the thought struck me, "Why 

 not drive him into camp, where he could be secured 

 by the one having a special license?'* I jumped on 

 my horse and galloped around him, but in a few 

 moments struck a ravine so rocky that I had to walk 

 my horse through the worst of it. By the time I 

 had crossed the giraffe was some hundred yards 

 ahead. Still farther ahead the prairie was burning 

 and the long line of fire extended a mile or more 

 across our front. 



I thought this fire would swing the giraffe off, 

 and so it became a race to reach the fire line first, 



