196 THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



ness and certainly much less grace than the brute 

 creation do when so employed. 



The caragal killed in the morning was a 

 fine adult male specimen, with a most perfect coat, 

 which I soon had the carcase divested of, for it, with 

 that of the gray, or narwal jackal, form the warmest 

 and softest karosses obtained from the skins of any 

 animals to be found on the tropical South African 

 hunting veldt. However, they are more susceptible 

 of injury from damp or wet than any of the furs I 

 know, thus do not repay the trouble of bringing 

 home, unless the possessor designs to exhibit them 

 as trophies. 



The caracal lives principally upon small buck, 

 which it is very successful in hunting ; in fact, there 

 are no animals I wot of that are more thorough sports- 

 men in all their proclivities. However, they do not 

 hesitate to pick up a pauw or kooran when opportunity 

 offers, and the velocity with which they make their 

 dash upon these birds is equal to that of the Indian 

 cheetah. 



It is a very extraordinary thing that, although they 

 will frequently go off with the most fearful shot or 

 bullet wound, a very insignificant blow from a stick 



