CHAPTER XIX. 



UNKIND TREATMENT. 

 Attacked by a Vlakke-vark Wait-a-bit Thorn. 



I HAVE heard it said that " men are often unjust 

 to one another,' women always so," but I am certain 

 they cannot be more so than the porcupine is to 

 the aard-vark. Moreover, but for the presumption 

 and barefaced cheek of the prickly, irascible animal 

 in question, the poor creature he had so summarily 

 turned from his home would be like " he who runs 

 away, lives to fight another day," and be now alive. 

 The aard-vark possesses extraordinary power in its 

 muscles and claws ; its fore-arms have but to be 

 examined to prove that this is the case ; but even 

 that proof becomes doubly convincing when the 

 ant-hills that it demolishes are examined. In portions 

 of South Africa, more particularly in the Orange 

 Free State, Southern Transvaal and parts of Natal 



