Right and left; and, when he had seen me
depart with that wonderful Reilly rifle he had not entertained
a doubt of my success, and, accordingly, had commanded the men
to be ready to go after me, as soon as they should hear the
reports of the gun.
The following is quoted from my Diary:
January 20th, 1872. - To-day was a halt. On going out for a hunt
I saw a herd of eleven giraffes. After crossing Mpokwa stream I
succeeded in getting within one hundred and fifty yards of one of
them, and fired at it; but, though it was wounded, I did not
succeed in dropping it, though I desired the skin of one of them
very much.
In the afternoon I went out to the east of the village, and came
to a herd of six giraffes. I wounded one of them, but it got off,
despite my efforts.
What remarkable creatures they are! How beautiful their large
limpid eyes! I could have declared on oath that both shots had
been a success, but they sheered off with the stately movements
of a clipper about to tack. When they ran they had an ungainly,
dislocated motion, somewhat like the contortions of an Indian
nautch or a Theban danseuse - a dreamy, undulating movement, which
even the tail, with its long fringe of black hair, seemed to
partake of.
