THE RATEL, OR HONEY-BADGER 125 



justice on paper). The Honey-Guide understands, and 

 having, with undulating flight, sought another tree some 

 thirty yards further on, renews his invitation. 



Keeping quite still, and looking steadily, you presently 

 spy a little grey and black form, moving along at a steady 

 jog-trot ; the tail is carried slightly above the level of 

 the back, and the head, except when raised to glance up 

 at the guide, is held a little low. Every time the bird 

 utters his monotonous refrain, which, translated into 

 feathered language, means " Come along, come along, 

 don't be so slow," the follower replies, "All right, my 

 friend, don't be alarmed, I am coming." And thus 

 the strange procession passes on out of sight to the 

 hollow log, where the unlucky insects are industriously 

 slaving, only ultimately to satisfy the appetites of bird 

 and beast . When following the Honey-Guide, the natives 

 of many tribes in Africa endeavour to imitate the curious 

 whistling and chuckling sounds of the Ratel ; though 

 indeed the bird appears to require but little encourage- 

 ment to keep it to its work. 



I do not believe that there exists in the world a more 

 absolutely courageous animal than the Ratel. He seems 

 to fear nothing that runs, or flies, or crawls. His whole 

 demeanour, as, sometimes at a walk, sometimes at a jog- 

 trot, he makes his way towards some definite point, is 

 full of the confident assurance of one who alike fears 

 nothing and threatens nobody ; and it contrasts as 

 vividly with the scared, abrupt motions of the antelopes, 

 as it does with the furtive movements of the beasts of 

 prey. Perfectly inoffensive to human beings so long 

 as not interfered with, when wounded, or driven into a 

 corner, there is no creature alive capable of making a 

 more gallant fight, or one which, for its size, is more 

 difficult to dispose of. At bay, it utters a sound between 



