A STINK BULL 
331 
chase after a poor beast that cannot get away, I have no desire 
to recapitulate the distressing details of the last struggle we 
experienced with these gentle creatures, which recall reproachful 
glances from large, liquid, mild eyes, inclining the hunter not 
to feel particularly proud of his position, until it is necessary to 
administer “ den Gnadenschuss ” with murderous hand. Such 
was our giraffe hunt. And when we met after it was over, and 
laughed at our ragged, bleeding appearance, it was necessary 
to send Witboy off with the horses immediately to camp for 
water, instructing him to return with the oxen to drag the 
giraffes nearer to camp, where they could more conveniently be 
cut up, while we awaited the arrival of help, and watched the 
carcases to prevent incursions from either lions or vultures. 
The giraffe Witboy had shot, more with an eye to the skin 
than the meat, was an old bull, known, from its peculiarities, 
amongst hunters, as a ‘ stink bull.’ The oxen, when brought up 
to be yoked to a sled improvised of branches, which was shoved 
under this carcase to protect the skin from being frayed in the 
dragging, got a whiff of the beast, that flavoured strongly of bad 
musk, and ran off in the greatest terror before being properly 
hooked on to the impromptu conveyance. It cost us much 
trouble to get the terrified oxen properly yoked to the sled, and 
then they dragged the unpleasant load along at a pace that even 
a whip made from the giraffe’s hide later would not force them 
into on an ordinary journey. 
We made a rough stockade-camp, or kraal, round the 
wagon, to keep out the lions which, attracted by the scent of 
meat, roared lustily round our camp at night. Aasvogels also 
appeared in great numbers, and consumed the gigantic offal that 
fell to their lot from the giraffes, and then favoured us with 
their company until we left the camp, attracted by the red 
shimmer of meat hanging in the trees. 
Two theories are propounded regarding the marvellous 
sense of observation that- attracts the aasvogel to its food. One 
set of authorities decidedly contend that he is guided purely by 
the sense of smell, while others with equal determination insist 
