them, therefore I turned sharp to my right, intending to make a short
half circle, and to arrive on the leeward side of the herd, as I was now
to windward. This I fortunately completed, but I had marked a thick bush
as my point of cover, and upon arrival I found that the herd had fed
down wind, and that I was within two hundred yards of the great bull
sentinel that, having moved from his former position, was now standing
directly before me.

I lay down quietly behind the bush with my two followers, and anxiously
watched the great leader, momentarily expecting that it would get my
wind. It was shortly joined by two others, and I perceived the heads of
several giraffes lower down the incline, that were now feeding on their
way to the higher ground. The seroot fly was teasing them, and I
remarked that several birds were fluttering about their heads, sometimes
perching upon their noses and catching the fly that attacked their
nostrils, while the giraffes appeared relieved by their attentions.
These birds were of a peculiar species that attacks the domestic
animals, and not only relieves them of vermin, but eats into the flesh
and establishes dangerous sores. A puff of wind now gently fanned the
back of my neck; it was cool and delightful, but no sooner did I feel
the refreshing breeze than I knew it would convey our scent directly to
the giraffes. A few seconds afterward the three grand obelisks threw
their heads still higher in the air, and fixing their great black eyes
upon the spot from which the warning came, they remained as motionless
as though carved from stone. From their great height they could see over
the bush behind which we were lying at some paces distant, and although
I do not think they could distinguish us to be men, they could see
enough to convince them of hidden enemies.

The attitude of fixed attention and surprise of the three giraffes was