A GOOD GALLOP 
329 
pendulous strides, as if the thorns were simply feathers. The 
unconcerned manner in which they tackled the thorns convinced 
us, if we ever had any doubt on the subject before, that their 
tough hides were practically impervious to the attacks of the 
thorns, which glided over their hides like so much carded wool. 
Into it again with eyes open and a delicate touch on the rein, 
for the horses accustomed to this sort of thing were prepared at 
the least touch to their mouths to swerve about amongst the trees 
and bushes, trusting blindly to the guidance of their riders. There 
were some hook thorns in the middle of that hush that almost 
accounted for the balance of our clothing, and half naked, and, 
bleeding from scratches, we emerged, Stremboom still leading, 
into an open grassy plain, across which the giraffes were con¬ 
tentedly swinging along as before. Shouting to Stremboom to 
give us a chance, we clapped the single spur best worn on such 
hunts into the horses, and shoved along to within seventy yards 
of the giraffes before they even knew we were so close: Off we 
jumped on to the ground; I on the extreme left; Stremboom 
on the right, with Witboy in the middle, and according to the 
hunting code, each fired at an animal corresponding to his 
relative position, so as not to cause complications. I being on 
the left took the left-hand giraffe. Before the game was well 
aware of our intention, three giraffes had each received a bullet 
at the root of the tail, that passing forward raked the body to 
the front of the chest. Now on to the horses again, Stremboom 
shouted to us, each to. turn his wounded giraffe from the herd 
and force it towards the river, or as near to the camp as was 
consistent with the occasion. He nearly came to grief himself 
over this, for in his anxiety to turn his especial head, the fiery 
pony he bestrode carried him close past the front of his giraffe, 
when with a convulsive movement, like the heave of a wave, the 
beast rose on his hind-legs and sent a crashing, chopping blow 
at Stremboom and his horse, with its long, powerful forefeet, 
that, had it ‘ caught on,’ would have made a perfect mash of the 
whole figure. In this lies the only but serious danger of turning 
a giraffe’s course from the saddle, for the power of such a blow* 
