ight unless they
had killed something during the day.

They had arrived at a thick belt of forest, consisting of acacias and
evergreen shrubs, and trees of the strelitzia, zamia, and speckboom,
when their ears were assailed by the sound of breaking branches, and the
unmistakable rushing of some large animals through the thicket.

"Prepare yourself, Arend; we may have some sport here," cried Hendrik,
and both drew rein to await the _denouement_.

A few seconds only elapsed when the forms of two full-grown giraffes
were observed breaking from the thicket. On the back of one of these
was a leopard. Blood was streaming down its breast, and it was reeling
wildly in its gait.

Knowing that the leopard is a cowardly creature, and that its capability
for taking its prey is so great that it rarely suffers from want of
food, and never where there is an abundance of game, the youths knew
that its attack on the giraffe must have been caused by some other
motive than that of satisfying the appetite of hunger. Its young had
been disturbed in their lair, or the giraffes had in some other way
aroused its animosity. On reaching the open ground it was seen that the
unencumbered giraffe quickly forsook its companion, which was now
showing unmistakable signs of being able to go but a very little
farther. Its life-blood was flowing from its neck, and the stately
monster was about to topple over under the injuries it had received from
its fierce, agile enemy. The hunters were spectators of an incident
such had probably never before happened,--that of a leopard killing a
giraffe. Circumstances had favoured the beast of prey; and the huge
ruminant, that had in some unconscious way aroused its anger, was being
destroyed by an animal not the tenth part of its own strength or bulk.

Two dogs that were along with the hunters, not heeding the voices of
their owners, essayed to take a part in the destruction of the innocent
creature. Both ran yelping after it, and endeavoured to lay hold of its
heels. Lifting one of its feet, the tottering camelopard dashed it with
unerring aim against one of the dogs, with a force that threw the cur
several feet backward, where it lay sprawling in the last convulsive
motions of life. By making this effort, the reeling body of the giraffe
lost its balance, and throwing its head violently to one side it fell
heavily to the earth, its shoulders covering part of the leopard's body,
and crushing the latte