A RUSH TO THE BUSI 



frequently in bad condition, and exhaling a disgusting 

 odour. Dwelling by day in burrows excavated pre- 

 viously by ant-bears or porcupines, the hyaena does 

 not issue forth till dusk. It commences by drinking, 

 and then, guided by its sensitive nose, sets forth in 

 quest of some carcase. 



Frequently, seated at a respectful distance, it 

 assists, a mute and approving spectator, at leonine 

 banquets, of which it finishes the remains. It goes 

 hunting round the villages, seeking an opportunity 

 to steal a fowl, to pounce upon a goat, or carry off a 

 pig. As the huts are too solid to enter, it searches 

 the rubbish-heaps, where it gnaws old bones ; and 

 all night the accursed beast perambulates round, 

 growling, snarling, and sniffing. If its hunger becomes 

 too pressing, it endeavours, in company with a beggar 

 of its own kind, to catch a small antelope ; occasionally 

 even, its courage arriving with hunger, it ventures 

 to attack a sleeping man. It nearly always seizes 

 him by the face, causing by its bites frightful wounds 

 which leave deep scars. 



If you wish for astonishing stories, question the 

 Kafirs concerning this hyaena. They will tell you : — 

 " It is an evil spirit (m'fitti) which cannot die, and 

 allies itself with wicked persons, jealous of their 

 neighbours. They whisper into its ear at night the 

 name of a man, from whom the docile hyaena pro- 

 ceeds to steal a fowl, a goat, or a pig. Already 

 advised, the hyaena goes to the door of the dwelling ; 



(47) 



