342 
HUNTING GIRAFFES ,. 
[chap. VIII. 
his moving the fore and hind legs of one side simul¬ 
taneously, he attains a great pace, owing to the length 
of his stride, and his bounding trot is more than a 
match for any but a superior horse. 
The hoof is as beautifully proportioned as that of 
the smallest gazelle, and his lengthy legs and short 
back give him every advantage for speed and en¬ 
durance. There is a rule to be observed in hunting 
the giraffe on horseback: the instant he starts, he 
must be pressed—it is the speed that tells upon him, 
and the spurs must be at work at the very commence¬ 
ment of the hunt, and the horse pressed along at his 
best pace; it must be a race at top speed from the 
start, but, should the giraffe be allowed the slightest 
advantage for the first five minutes, the race will be 
against the horse. 
I was riding “ Filfil,” my best horse for speed, but 
utterly useless for the gun. I had a common regulation 
sword hanging on my saddle in lieu of the long Arab 
broadsword that I had lost at Obbo, and starting at 
full gallop at the same instant as the giraffes, away we 
went over the beautiful park. Unfortunately fiicharn 
was a bad rider, and I, being encumbered with a rifle, 
had no power to use the sword. I accordingly trusted 
to ride them down and to get a shot, but I felt that 
the unsteadiness of my horse would render it very 
