FEATHERED PETS. 21 



with the hens, but one day discovered a speckled 

 beauty deliberately visiting each sitting hen and 

 pecking at her cruelly, so my guinea-fowls had 

 to be given away. 



One night there was a great commotion amongst 

 the fowls, and when I went in I found that some 

 Kafirs had forced their way through the canigo 

 paling, broken open the door of the hen-house, 

 and had stolen many of them, others being tied 

 up ready to be taken away. Amongst these was 

 a little red cock who, though the smallest, had 

 hitherto been lord of the community. I untied 

 him and soothed his wounded feelings as best I 

 could ; but he never was master again, and ever 

 afterwards walked about in a most crestfallen 

 manner. 



I lately tried keeping a few chickens loose 

 about the quintal, hoping that their continued 

 scratching would keep down the white ants, but 

 they worried me so by coming into the rooms 

 and stealing the food and breaking the crockery, 

 that I wished them anywhere else. They used to 

 wait in a group for me outside my door, and when 



