MEERKATS. 163 



The best chance of capturing full-grown meerkats 

 is when, during long droughts, little companies of them 

 are travelling in search of water ; they often have to go 

 long distances, and when they are thus far from their 

 holes it is possible, though by no means easy, to run 

 one down. In a few days, even if quite old when 

 caught, a meerkat will know his name, come to you 

 when called, or at least answer you with a little soft, 

 bird-like note from whatever corner of the room he 

 may be hiding in ; scramble up into your lap, eat out 

 of your hand, and altogether be nearly as tame as one 

 which has been brought up in the house from infancy ; 

 though of course there is always the chance that, 

 knowing the joys of liberty, he may some day, like the 

 owl, take it into his head to desert. 



T , riding one day, and encountering a little 



travelling party of meerkats, gave chase on horseback. 

 One of the animals, a very large, fat one, made for a 

 hole, but found it a tight fit. He stuck fast, and 



T pulled him out ignominiously by the tail, 



and rode off with him. The mare a wild, half- 

 broken young thing was so mad with fright at the 

 way in which the little fury, though tethered by a 

 handkerchief, dashed about, scratching and tearing 

 at her sides, that she bolted all the way home. And 



when T set the new inmate down on the floor of 



the sitting-room, where it stood at bay, snarling 

 savagely at us, it seemed about as unpromising a 

 specimen on which to exercise our powers of taming 

 animals as could well be imagined. But, refusing to 



