iraffes. The natives watched me eagerly as,
trailing my gun after me, I cautiously approached the bush. I was very
anxious to kill an animal, in order still further to establish our
credit, hoping thereby also more speedily to obtain permission to
depart. I could not help constantly thinking of the alarm our prolonged
absence would cause our friends.

As I crept on I saw the giraffes turning their heads, raised high in
air, now in one direction, now in the other, as if they suspected
danger. I should have said that they were near a small grove of trees,
from the branches of which some of the herd were plucking the leaves.
This grove had partly concealed our party, or we should not have
approached so easily. I had never prided myself on being a sportsman;
but I had steady nerves, and of late had given good practice to my eye,
and thoroughly knew the range of my rifle. The bush was gained. A
large bull cameleopard stood the nearest, every now and then turning his
head to pluck a bunch of leaves from a branch which no other animal
could have reached, but still apparently on the watch for danger. I
raised myself on my knee, and lifting my rifle, took a steady aim at his
breast. At the report the whole herd moved off, swinging their legs
over the plain at a rapid rate. I thought that I must have missed, and
yet my bullet seemed to strike the creature at whom I had aimed. Away
he went with the rest. Before, however, he had proceeded fifty yards
down he suddenly fell, and lay prostrate on the earth. The blacks, with
loud shrieks and shouts, rose from their hiding-places and darted
forward, and in a few minutes the wounded giraffe was surrounded by a
band of dancing, shrieking, shouting blacks, delighted at the thought of
the meal he was about to afford them. Natty and I stood at a little
distance, when suddenly we saw the giraffe raise his neck high above the
heads of the shrieking band. Presently out went his legs, and the chief
and his followers were seen scattered here and there on every side, some
prostrate on the ground, others scampering off to avoid the fury of the
kicks of the dying animal. I thought some of them must have been
killed. It was his last effort, however, and again sinking down, he lay
perfectly quiet. The blacks picked themselves up, showing that at all
events no mortal injury had been done, and again assembled round the
body of the animal, though keeping at a more cautious distance till