258 THROUGH MAS AIL AND TO THE BORDERS OF KIKUYU 



heart beat like that of some cockney sportsman. All the 

 hunter's zeal, laid to rest for a time amongst the quantities of 

 game, awoke within me again, and as I approached I spied a 

 second smaller giraffe and realised that the two were a pair 

 who had withdrawn together to the forest. After long consi- 

 deration as to where the heart might be in a body of a form so 

 unfamiliar to me, I fired. The buck was wounded to death, and 

 as he struggled in his last agonies, he turned slowly towards 

 his wife, who stood rooted to the spot, her great gazelle-like 

 eyes fixed on her mate. The hunting fever once aroused, I 

 had lost all mercy, and I did not hesitate to fire at the female. 

 Though both were now mortally wounded, the two remained 

 standing, with their forelegs stuck out far in front of them, so 

 I put a rapid end to their sufferings by firing again. The 

 little wife was the first to die* she fell forwards, and then 

 wound her long neck over on the left till her head almost 

 touched her tail. I did not actually see the buck die, as I was 

 watching the passing away of his mate. When I looked again 

 he was lying upon his side quite dead. 



A very good shot is required to bring down a giraffe. I 

 killed both these animals with the 500 Express, which was a 

 favourite weapon with us, as we could carry it ourselves, 

 instead of having to depend on the men to hand it to us. It 

 was light, extremely handy, and fired hardened spherical 

 bullets, with six drachms of powder, with wonderful accuracy. 

 Although I fired in this case at both animals at a distance of 

 some twenty paces, it was from a minute to two minutes before 

 either of them fell. I am sorry now that I did not measure the 

 male. The size of the wild giraffes is ever so much greater than 

 one would imagine from seeing them in zoological gardens 

 only, and the largest elephant I saw on my wanderings did not 

 impress me as half so imposing as a full-grown giraffe. The 

 flesh tastes not unlike venison, of which we were unfortunately 



