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290 



GIRAFFE HUNTING. 



li III 



After quietly riding a few miles, 1 saw at a distance 

 a " tope ' of trees, and, apparently making its way 

 towards it, a very travel-stained, worn-out-looking 

 waggon, the cover of which was much torn, and here 

 and there clumsily patched with large pieces of green 

 hide. Around it were many natives, with a cortifge oi 

 their women, loaded with their babes, bringing up the 

 rear. What surprised me was that there was no sound 

 of whip-crackmg, laughter, or grunting and complain- 

 ing of cattle, or complaining from badly lubricated 

 wheels. My boy looked at it as well as myself. I did 

 not disturb his reveries, whatever they might be, yet 

 I could not help thinking that there was something 

 queer, if not mysterious, in the whole affair, so I re- 

 solved to overtake it, and learn who was its owner, 

 whence it went, and whither it had come. With this 

 purpose, I accelerated my pace, taking but small heed 

 of the object of my curiosity, but when I directed my 

 eyes upon it again, it had almost gained the clump of 

 trees. This struck me as curious, for at first they 

 appeared separated by a considerable space ; however, 

 heir progress might be accounted for by the stranger 

 travelling faster than I supposed. When about three- 

 quarters of a mile from the object of pursuit, it dis- 

 appeared with all its surroundings. When this took 

 place, I had not had my sight fixed upon it for a 

 minute or two. Although oarprised, I consoled my- 

 self with the belief that there must be some dip in 

 the leldt^ into which it had descended, or that the 

 clump of trees was nearer than I supposed, and that 

 it ha(i pained shelter behind them. 



Slightly altering the direction I was pursuing, so 

 as to more immediately cut the spoor made by the 

 wheels, I spoke to my boy and asked him to what 

 people he thought the waggon belonged. 



In his manner he appeared somewhat nervous, and 

 scarcely the plucky fellow he generally gave you the 

 impression that he was ; still he answered, but it was 



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