250 



GIRAFFE HUNTING, 



in spite of the wealth that was stowed away in his 

 numerous waggons, and what does the reader imagine 

 it was ? Well ! nothing less than a supply of grog, a 

 portion of which I was well supplied with, particularly 

 old Jamaica rum. Now dear old George had a pen- 

 chant {ox this identical spirit, so, as water was abundant, 

 and the grass in the vicinity plentiful and sweet, he 

 decided to lay over for a couple of days. Numerous 

 were the shikar yarns that were told during that halt, 

 but one is so apropos to the subject on which I am 

 writing, that I will narrate it here. 



One day, when out shooting in the neighbourhood 

 of Pablamatinka, he found some giraffes in veldt^ well 

 suited for stalking purposes. Such a chance was not 

 to be lost of obtaining meat, for his retinue of 

 servants was always large ; so, after exercising the 

 usual amount of creeping and dodging, lying still and 

 making progress when he thought that he was unob- 

 served, he arrived within range of the camiles (Boer 

 for giraffes; this appellation is almost in universal 

 use throughout the colony). Singling out the finest 

 cow, he fired at her, his weapon being a single barrel 

 converted Sneider, Government pattern. This is not 

 exactly the weapon to be selected for killing such 

 mammoth game, for, although its penetration is all 

 that can be desired, it does not cause sufficient shock 

 to the system, to produce immediate results, unless, of 

 course, the bullet penetrates the heart or head. 

 However, my friend's shot brought the giraffe to her 

 knees, af ■ r which she and her confreres at once 

 started to place a safe distance between themselves 

 and the dangerous locality. 



But the poor stricken animal did not go far before 

 encountering further difficulties. It might have been 

 the smell of the blood, possibly it was the result of a 

 chance combination of circumstances — who can say ? 

 for a large lioness, with a rush of several yards, 

 followed by a prodigious spring, precipitated herself 



