292 



GIRAFFE HUNT/XG. 



novice in wild African life could have been. The 

 optical delusion was so perfect that not for a moment 

 did a suspicion enter my mind of it not being a 

 reality, and this unquestionably was the cause that I 

 was so easily deluded. If such an experience had 

 taken place immediately after sunset or on a moon- 

 light night, how possible would it have been for a" 

 uneducated person to assert that they had seen some- 

 thing supernatural. As it was, my follower was 

 convinced that he had, and made converts of the 

 whole retinue of servants, who, open-mouthed and 

 awe-stricken, sat over the watch-fire to a very late 

 hour, still discussing the smallest details, or asking 

 fresh questions relative to the mysterious apparition. 



I believe my horse was quite as much deceived as 

 I was myself, for when I entered the clump of trees, 

 he looked about as if expecting every rroment to 

 view something that he anticipated was close at hand, 

 he even whinnied, a thing, I may say, he almost never 

 did, except when returning to camp and his com- 

 panions. This trifling occurrence even the boy noticed, 

 and made it a very strong point in bringing the 

 others to the decision that it could be nothing else but 

 a devil's waggon. 



Next morning was clear and delightfully fresh. 

 Soon after inspanning^ we crossed over a swell of 

 ground from which extended a very obvious descent. 

 The whole country from here underwent a strange 

 revolution in appearance, grass and bush became 

 again abundant, trees numerous, while in the middle 

 distance rose detached copjes, the sides of which 

 were shrouded in a dense covering of innumerable 

 vegetable growths. The change was a complete 

 transformation, almost as much so'jaiS jumping from 

 Rannoch Moor or Black Mount to the valley of the 

 Thames. This doubtless was all due to the difference 

 of altitude and a greater abundance of water near 

 the surface of the soil. It seemed interminable, the 



