Копи царя Соломона

           Bysomeextraordinarychancetheballstruckitfullonthebackoftheneck,shatteringthespinalcolumn,andthatgiraffewentrollingheadoverheelsjustlikearabbit. Ineversawamorecuriousthing. 

           "Curseit!"saidGood—forIamsorrytosayhehadahabitofusingstronglanguagewhenexcited—contracted,nodoubt,inthecourseofhisnauticalcareer;"curseit!I’vekilledhim." 

           "Ou,Bougwan,"ejaculatedtheKafirs;"ou!ou!" 

           TheycalledGood"Bougwan,"orGlassEye,becauseofhiseye-glass. 

           "Oh,‘Bougwan!’"re-echoedSirHenry andI,andfromthatdayGood’sreputationasamarvellousshotwasestablished,atanyrateamongtheKafirs. Reallyhewasabadone,butwheneverhemissedweoverlookeditforthesakeofthatgiraffe. 

           Havingsetsomeofthe"boys"tocutoffthebestofthegiraffe’smeat,wewenttoworktobuilda"scherm"nearoneofthepoolsandaboutahundredyardstoitsright. Thisisdonebycuttingaquantityofthornbushesandpilingthemintheshapeofacircularhedge. Thenthespaceenclosedissmoothed,anddrytamboukigrass,ifobtainable,ismadeintoabedinthecentre,andafireorfireslighted. 

           Bythetimethe"scherm"wasfinishedthemoonpeepedup,andourdinnersofgiraffesteaksandroastedmarrow-boneswereready. Howweenjoyedthosemarrow-bones,thoughitwasratherajobtocrackthem! Iknowofnogreaterluxurythangiraffemarrow,unlessitiselephant’sheart,andwehadthatonthemorrow.