CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
FATHER SHOOTS A GIRAFFE.
Meanwhile, believing that the boys were in full chase of a giraffea-piece, Mr Rogers had galloped on after the great creature he had cutoff from the herd, though for a time he could not gain upon it at all.The beast's mode of progression was very ungainly, and its great stiltedlegs moved in an awkward manner, but it got over the ground very fast.
Still the plain was open and offered good galloping ground, and after avery long stern-chase Mr Rogers saw tokens of the great beast beginningto give way, and thereupon pushed forward, the bay responding to thecalls he made upon it, so that he was soon alongside.
His rifle was ready, but he hesitated to use it, preferring to gallop onand watch the great creature which towered up to double the height hesat upon his horse. It kept panting on, whisking its tail, and once ortwice it made an awkward side-wise kick at the horse, but it wasill-directed and of none effect; while at last feeling that he wastorturing the great beast, he levelled his gun, but his sight wasdisarranged by another fierce kick, which made the horse bound aside.
Again they thundered on for some distance, when, steadying his horse soas to get a good aim, Mr Rogers levelled, fired, and the monster camedown with a crash, shot through the head.
As the great giraffe lay motionless, Mr Rogers leaped down, afterlooking to see if his boys were coming; and then loosening his horse'sgirths he let it graze amongst the rich grass that grew in patches hereand there, while, after refreshing himself a little, he drew hishunting-knife and proceeded dexterously to skin the great animal, whichmust have stood about nineteen feet from horn to hoof.
For the skin of the giraffe--if a fine one--is worth three or fourpounds, and this was in magnificent condition.
It was a hard task that skinning, but the long legs acted as levers whenhe wanted to turn the creature over, and the busily employed timeskipped away, quite three hours having elapsed before Dick and Jack rodeup.
"Why, what a magnificent skin, father," cried Dick, as he stood admiringthe creamy drab, splashed and spotted with great patches of a richyellowish brown. "What a monster, and what a height!"
"Yes," said Mr Rogers. "But I've had enough of this, boys. The greatgentle beast looked so piteous and appealing at me that I feel ashamedof having killed it. You must shoot one a-piece I suppose, but afterthat let's get to the savage animals again. One feels to have done agood deed in ridding the country of one of those brutes. Did you bothkill yours?"
"No, father," they cried in chorus; and after helping to cut off themarrow-bones of the great beast to carry home, for a roast, the marrowbeing esteemed a delicacy; the heavy skin was mounted before Mr Rogers,and a couple of marrow-bones a-piece proving a load, they rode slowlyfor the camp, Mr Rogers listening to the account of his boys' mishaps,both showing traces of having been in the wars.
Evening was coming on fast, and their progress was necessarily slow; butit was not until it had turned quite dark, that the fact became evidentthat they had lost their way out there on that great wild.
They drew rein and looked around, but not a single familiar landmark wasin sight. On the contrary, all loomed up strange and peculiar.
To have gone on meant only wearying themselves in vain, and perhaps anunpleasant encounter with lions; so they made straight for the nearestpatch of wood, secured their horses, and rapidly hacked off andcollected enough wood for a fire, to do duty in a threefold way--givingthem warmth, safety from prowling beasts, and cooking the hugemarrow-bones, which were soon set down to roast, and formed, with thebiscuits they carried, no despicable meal.
Such nights passed by a blazing fire on the edge of a wood sound veryromantic, but they lose their attraction when tried. Hot as Africa isby day, icy winds often blow by night, and they will freeze the hunterinside the shelter of a tent; the coolness then of a night withoutshelter can be understood. The fire burnt one side, but, as Jack said,without you made the fire all round you, it was no good, and that theycould not do.
No one felt disposed to sleep, so they sat and warmed themselves as bestthey could, drawing the great giraffe skin round them for warmth. Thenthey talked till they were weary, and afterwards got up to pat andcomfort their horses.
It was very wearisome that night, but free from adventure; and themoment it was light they mounted and rode to the nearest eminence, fromwhich they made out land-marks which enabled them to find their way backto camp, where the General and his two boys were missing, having goneout, as they said in their trouble, because Mr Rogers and the boys hadnot returned--"to look for Boss;" their joy knowing no bounds when theycame back in a couple of hours, without finding those they had sought,and seeing them waiting there.