e or bush, that stretched away about a mile to the
northward, where it was bounded by extensive groves of wide-spreading
mimosas. Up the middle of the vley stalked a troop of ten colossal
giraffes, flanked by two large herds of blue wildebeests and zebras,
with an advanced guard of pallahs. They were all coming to the fountain
to drink, and would be within rifle-shot of the wagons before I could
finish my breakfast. I, however, continued to swallow my food with the
utmost expedition, having directed my men to catch and saddle Colesberg.
In a few minutes the giraffes were slowly advancing within two hundred
yards, stretching their graceful necks, and gazing in wonder at the
unwonted wagons.

Grasping my rifle, I now mounted Colesberg, and rode slowly toward them.
They continued gazing at the wagons until I was within one hundred yards
of them, when, whisking their long tails over their rumps, they made off
at an easy canter. As I pressed upon them they increased their pace; but
Colesberg had much the speed of them, and before we proceeded half a
mile I was riding by the shoulder of the dark-chestnut old bull, whose
head towered high above the rest. Letting fly at the gallop, I wounded
him behind the shoulder; soon after which I broke him from the herd, and
presently, going ahead of him, he came to a stand. I then gave him a
second bullet, somewhere near the first. These two shots had taken
effect, and he was now in my power, but I would not lay him low so far
from camp; so, having waited until he had regained his breath, I drove
him half way back toward the wagons. Here he became obstreperous; so,
loading one barrel, and pointing my rifle toward the clouds, I shot him
in the throat, when, rearing high, he fell backward and expired.

This was a magnificent specimen of the giraffe, measuring upward of
eighteen feet in height. I stood for nearly half an hour engrossed in
the contemplation of his extreme beauty and gigantic proportions; and,
if there had been no elephants, I could have exclaimed, like Duke
Alexander of Gordon when he killed the famous old stag with seventeen
tine, "Now I can die happy." But I longed for an encounter with the
noble elephants, and I thought little more of the giraffe than if I had
killed a gemsbok or an eland.

In the afternoon I removed my wagons to a correct distance from the
fountain, and drew them up among some bushes about four hundred yards to
leeward of the water. In the evening I was