2 6o IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



in which I had had many loopholes made, not for 

 the purpose of shooting from, but to serve as peep- 

 holes, so that I might be able to see in all 

 directions; and I was well rewarded for the trouble I 

 had taken. 



I had not been in my stockade for more than an 

 hour, when in the distance I heard pad, pad, pad, 

 pad, and a few seconds afterwards up stalked a 

 very tall giraffe, followed by twelve others, their 

 heads being apparently on a level with the tops of 

 the palms. It was the weirdest thing imaginable to 

 watch these huge ungainly creatures stride past 

 within twenty yards, all the time twisting their 

 heads from side to side, keenly on the look-out, 

 and yet totally unconsicous of my presence. When 

 they had had their drink at the waterhole, they 

 stalked off again, and later on were succeeded by 

 others at various times throughout the night. None 

 of them went down to the water direct, but circled 

 round it first to see if there were an enemy, in 

 the shape of a lion or other rapacious beast, in sight. 

 One elephant came and had a long drink and a bath, 

 and then leisurely went his way down the bed of the 

 river. 



It was a perfectly still night, without a breath of 

 air blowing, which probably accounts for the fact that 

 the animals did not wind my boma. 



Soon after the first troop of giraffe had gone, a 



