260 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



seated gravely side by side on a horizontal limb 

 ten feet up a thorn tree. They contemplated us 

 with the preternatural gravity of very young 

 children, and without the slightest sign of fear. 

 We coveted them as pets for Billy, but soon 

 discovered that their apparent tameness was 

 grounded on good, solid common sense. The 



thorns of that thorn tree ! We left them 



sitting upright, side by side. 



A little farther on, and up a dry earthy hill- 

 side, a medium- sized beast leapt from an eroded 

 place fairly under my feet and made off with a 

 singularly familiar kiyi. It was a strange-looking 

 animal, apparently brick red in colour. When I 

 had collected myself I saw it was a wild dog. 

 It had been asleep in a warm hollow of red clay, 

 and had not awakened until I was fairly upon it. 

 We had heard these beasts nearly every night, 

 but this was the first we had seen. Some days 

 later we came upon the entire pack drinking at 

 the river. They leapt suddenly across our front 

 eighty yards away, their heads all turned towards 

 us truculently, barking at us like so many watch 

 dogs. They made off, but not as though particu- 

 larly alarmed. 



One afternoon I had wounded a good wart-hog 



