248 



GIRAFFE HUNTING, 



apprehended, and thus avoided. What I have just 

 said is condensed into a few words, yet a lecture of 

 hours might be delivered upon the subject, and still 

 something further left to say. The benefit that the 

 inferior order of animals derive from this great pro- 

 vision is almost beyond comprehension. 



Notwithstanding this extraordinary gift of sagacity, 

 many giraffes, in spite of their great height, and 

 therefore ability to see objects at a great distance, fall 

 victims to the carnivora — not only to lions, but also 

 to panthers or leopards. In the latter instance the 

 spotted cat, after a successful stalk, makes good his 

 hold by the aid of tooth and claw on the victim's 

 back, somewhere in the vicinity of the withers, and if 

 the assailant be a small animal, the struggle is Icng 

 protracted before the denouement is accomplished. 



A hunter of great experience in tropical South 

 Africa— a son of one of our well-known genera' 

 officers of the last decade — narrated the following 

 episode to me, the circumstances of which were borne 

 out both by the word of his followers and his 

 companion. 



He was in search of giraffes on the Botletle river, a 

 district of country passed when en route to the 

 great Mababee veldt. At length he and his chum 

 spied a family party of the desired game, but not 

 before their presence became known to the vigilant 

 quarry. 



Their horses were too much out of condition, and 

 the ground too rough, to make successful running 

 with an indifferent start, so they pretended not to see 

 the beasts ; at the same time gaining as much ground 

 to their flank as would place them in a better position 

 with regard to the wind. Their movements were 

 closely watched by the timid creatures, which, evi- 

 dently satisfied as to the safety of their stand, or 

 that no hostile intentions were entertained towards 

 them, halted close together, and gratified their 



