roken rifle to give way, and had doubled the stock in half,
the barrels only hanging to the wood by the trigger-guard. Nothing
dismayed, however, by this heavy calamity, I remounted my jaded beast,
and one more effort brought me ahead of my wearied victim, which stood
still and allowed me to approach. In vain did I now attempt to bind my
fractured rifle with a pocket-handkerchief, in order to admit of my
administering the _coup de grace_. The guard was so contracted that, as
in the tantalizing phantasies of a night-mare, the hammer could not by
any means be brought down upon the nipple. In vain I looked around for a
stone, and sought in every pocket for my knife, with which either to
strike the copper-cap and bring about ignition, or hamstring the
colossal but harmless animal, by whose towering side I appeared the
veriest pigmy in the creation. Alas! I had lent it to the Hottentots to
cut off the head of the hartebeeste, and, after a hopeless search in the
remotest comers, each hand was withdrawn empty. Vainly did I then wait
for the tardy and rebellious villains to come to my assistance, making
the welkin ring, and my throat tingle with reiterated shouts. Not a soul
appeared, and in a few minutes the giraffe, having recovered his wind,
and being only slightly wounded on the hind-quarters, shuffled his long
legs, twisted his bushy tail over his back, walked a few steps, then
broke into a gallop, and, diving into the mazes of the forest, presently
disappeared from my sight. Disappointed and annoyed at my discomfiture,
I returned toward the wagons, now eight miles' distant, and on my way
overtook the Hottentots, who, pipe in mouth, were leisurely strolling
home, with an air of total indifference as to my proceedings, having
come to the conclusion that 'Sir could not fung de kameel' (catch the
giraffe), for which reason they did not think it worth while to follow
me, as I had directed. Two days after this catastrophe, having advanced
to the Tolaan River, we again took the field, accompanied by the whole
of the male inhabitants of three large kraals, in addition to those
that had accompanied us from the last encampment. The country had now
become undulating, extensive mimosa groves occupying all the valley, as
well as the banks of the Tolaan winding among them, on its way to join
the Mariqua. Before we had proceeded many hundred yards, our progress
was opposed by a rhinoceros, who looked defiance, but quickly took the
hints w