22 ELEPHANT-HUXTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



by her calf, the bull being some distance behind ; and when 

 about one hundred yards from her I stood and examined her 

 and her mate's horns through my glass, but decided they were 

 not worth coveting. When we got within about fifty yards, she 

 started straight for us at a sharp trot. I waited until she had 

 come on to within about half the distance, and then, as she 

 still made dead for me, who was in front, I confess I did not 

 care to await passively the further progress of the experiment, 

 so gave her a bullet in the face, which turned her off at a 

 gallop. I was really sorry to have to hurt her, but as the 

 ground was perfectly open, with not a stick to dodge behind if 

 she had run amuck among us, she might have got foul of 

 some one (we were four) and done damage. I don't know 

 whether this was a bond-fide charge or not ; if I had waited 

 longer she might have turned off of her own accord when she 

 was satisfied what we really were, but I disliked so close an 

 inspection. 



Another day I came back to this plain to try to get a shot 

 at the ostriches. I failed to get near them, but, while trying, 

 a giraffe came towards me — apparently not seeing me or 

 mistaking me for something harmless ; so I sat still till it had 

 walked a little past, some i 50 yards off, so that the solid bullet 

 I sent into its ribs from my little Gibbs .450 might travel 

 forward. It galloped violentl}- for about 200 yards, and then, 

 after staggering a little, plunged head first, its hind-quarters 

 curiously standing up for a second or two after its neck was 

 on the ground. It is not often one has the chance of seeing 

 a giraffe fall plainly, as they are generally shot among bush. 

 More often they, like most animals, fall backwards when 

 mortally wounded. 



I left my men cutting up the giraffe, and carrying my two 

 guns myself, like Robinson Crusoe (\ can't say I admire his 

 plan), I directed m)- steps towards camp, old Papa with a load 

 of meat for himself alone following me. But before arriving 

 at the stream I saw a herd of oryx away to the right, grazing 



