them.

Not a muscle did either Groar or Gean move until they made quite sure
the hunters had gone, and then, Groar declaring it to be quite safe,
they withdrew their heads and necks from the branches, relaxed their
stiffened limbs, and, moving their sloping[Footnote: The slope in a
giraffe's back is caused by its elongated shoulder-blades. The fore
and hind legs are exactly the same length.--_Author_.] backs from the
trees, walked softly and quietly in another direction.

They were both so stiff from standing in the same position for so long
a time that they were obliged to go slowly at first, and it was a very
good thing they did so; for suddenly they came to a deep pit, so
cunningly and cleverly hidden, that it was a great wonder Gean had not
walked straight into it. The pit was nearly ten feet deep, and a hard
bank of earth had been built from one side to the other, about six or
seven feet high. Had Gean fallen into it, her forelegs would have been
on one side of the wall and her hind legs on the other, and she would
have been balanced in such a manner that, in spite of any amount of
kicking and struggling, it would have been quite impossible for her to
obtain a foothold, and she would have been obliged to stay there until
the natives came and killed her.

As it was, she stopped just in time; but two such frights, in one day,
were enough to make any giraffe nervous, and so they both rejoined the
herd, and let the old leader keep guard while they had their evening
meal in peace.

Gean wandered off a little way by herself that night, and, as she
seemed to wish to be alone, Groar did not bother her, but kept a