CH. IV] A BULL GIRAFFE 95 
country round about with our glasses, and made out 
first a herd of eland, a mile in our rear, and then three 
giraffes a mile and a half in our front. I wanted a bull 
eland, but I wanted a giraffe still more, and we mounted 
our horses and rode toward where the three tall beasts 
stood, on an open hill-side with trees thinly scattered 
over it. Half a mile from them we left the horses in a 
thick belt of timber beside a dry watercourse, and went 
forward on foot. 
There was no use in trying a stalk, for that would 
merely have aroused the giraffe’s suspicion. But we 
knew they were accustomed to the passing and repassing 
of W akainba men and women, whom they did not fear 
if they kept at a reasonable distance, so we walked in 
single file diagonally in their direction ; that is, toward 
a tree which I judged to be about three hundred yards 
from them. I was carrying the Winchester loaded with 
full metal-patched bullets. I wished to get for the 
Museum both a bull and a cow. One of the three 
giraffes was much larger than the other two, and as he 
was evidently a bull I thought the two others were 
cows. 
As we reached the tree the giraffes showed symptoms 
of uneasiness. One of the smaller ones began to make 
off, and both the others shifted their positions slightly, 
curling their tails. I instantly dropped on my knee, 
and getting the bead just behind the big bull’s shoulder, 
I fired with the three-hundred-yard sight. I heard the 
44 pack ” of the bullet as it struck just where I aimed ; 
and away went all three giraffes at their queer rocking- 
horse canter. Running forward I emptied my magazine, 
firing at the big bull and also at one of his smaller com¬ 
panions, and then, slipping into the barrel what proved 
to be a soft-nosed bullet, I fired at the latter again. 
