THE FIRST GIRAFFE HUNT. 865 
the ball, however, seemed to have little effect. I then placed 
myself directly in front, when she came to a walk. Dis- 
mounting, I hastily loaded both barrels, putting in double 
charges of powder. Before this was accomplished she was 
off at a canter. Ina short time I brought her to a stand 
in ‘the dry bed of a water-course, where I fired at fifteen 
yards, aiming where I thought the heart lay, upon which she 
again made off. Having loaded, I followed, and had very 
nearly lost her; she had turned abruptly to the left, and 
was far out of sight among the trees. Once more I brought 
her to a stand, and dismounted from my horse. There we 
stood together alone in the wild wood. I gazed in wonder 
at her extreme beauty, while her soft, dark eye, with its 
silky fringe, looked down imploringly at me, and I really felt 
a pang of sorrow in this moment of triumph for the blood I 
was shedding. Pointing my rifle toward the skies, I sent a 
bullet through her neck. On receiving it, she reared high 
on her hind legs, and fell backward with a heavy crash, 
making the earth shake around her. A thick stream of dark 
blood spouted out from the wound, her colossal limbs quivered 
for a moment, and she expired. 
I had little time to contemplate the prize I had won. 
Night was fast setting in, and it was very questionable if 
I should succeed in regaining my wagons; so, having cut 
off the tail‘ of the giraffe, which was adorned with a bushy 
tuft of flowing black hair, I took “one last fond look,” and 
rode hard for the spoor of the wagons, which I succeeded in 
reaching just as it was dark. 
No pen nor words can convey to a sportsman what it is to 
ride in the midst of a troop of gigantic giraffes: it must be 
experienced to be understood. They emitted a powerful 
perfume, which in the chase came hot in my face, reminding 
me of the smell of a hive of heather honey in September. 
The greater part of this chase led through bushes of the 
wait-a-bit thorn of the most virulent deseription, which 
