NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Then again, it was apparent the animal had been 

 painfully dragging itself about, trying to obtain 

 food, but in its terribly crippled condition it was 

 evident that it had not succeeded very well. This 

 story has a sequel, for the following morning we 

 put up at the farm of an acquaintance, and in course 

 of conversation we told him about this Aard Vark. 

 He seemed unusually interested, and presently 

 startled us by suddenly jerking his pipe from his 

 mouth and casting it violently upon the ground, 

 exclaiming in a voice thrilling with anguish : " God 

 in Heaven, it was I who shot that Aard Vark ! " 

 When he grew more composed he related to us 

 that one night, returning in a bad temper after an 

 unsuccessful stalk of some Springboks, he startled 

 an Aard Vark, which ambled away to its burrow in 

 alarm. He took aim and fired. He knew he had 

 hit it for he saw it fall, but before he could ride 

 up it had succeeded in gaining its burrow, down 

 which it disappeared. He gave it no further 

 thought, but simply rode on. He was a humane 

 man, and this new aspect of the matter which our 

 story opened up to his mental vision, had not 

 occurred to him before, and consequently he was 

 now much upset over the terrible torture he had 

 thoughtlessly inflicted upon an innocent creature 

 of flesh, blood and sensitive nerves like himself. 



This brings to mind an occasion when I was present 

 when an Aard Vark was being dug out of its burrow. 

 After three hours' heavy toil, the natives, after 

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