THE FRETFUL PORCUPINE. 23 



ridge but a short distance in front of me, I perceived 

 the black fellow cutting up antics in a dry watercourse 

 which could well have rivalled the most adroit displays 

 of an acrobat. 



In less time than it takes to state so in writing, 

 I was by his side, and found that the dog was the 

 cause of my disappointment. The Zulu, in following 

 out my instructions, had pushed rapidly forward, and 

 having more regard to secreting himself from the 

 game that he was intent on driving towards me, than 

 to the objects that immediately surrounded him, had 

 almost tumbled head over heels on a porcupine. Such 

 a godsend for sport was not to be resisted by the 

 irrepressible Donna, who, regardless of quills and the 

 punishment which she was sure to suffer in assailing 

 such an invulnerable enemy, seized the prickly one 

 by the snout, and held fast to her fortunate grip, as if 

 on her success in doing so depended her future 

 existence. 



Now, a Cape porcupine is not much inferior in 

 point of size to a well-grown clumber spaniel, and, 

 moreover, is possessed of extraordinary powers of 

 limb, so my black fellow found it no easy job to get 

 the combatants parted, and in his attempt to do so 



