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196 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
harm, but, as a scavenger, a vast deal of good. The cunning- 
looking little jackal, which by its howling during the night has 
disturbed the sportsman’s well-earned rest, and called forth 
language more forcible than polite, may be seen at dawn 
trotting along to his earth, looking as unconcerned and inno- 
cent as possible, while various species of the larger ichneumons 
and that curious unwieldy creature, the ratel, will also be abroad. 
The ratel, by the way, with the porcupine (the latter, though 
plentiful, rarely seen) is responsible for the numerous shallow 
burrowings that may be observed so frequently, often in the 
middle of a well-beaten footpath which is as hard as a brick- 
bat. These burrowings are made by the ratel and porcupine 
when searching for food. Perhaps, too, in the early morning the 
stalker will seea curious little ground squirrel, whichis rarely found 
far from its retreat, and which on being disturbed scuttles away, 
and, if not too frightened, on arriving at its burrow, sits bolt 
upright to scrutinise the intruder like a marmot, before finally 
disappearing with a flick of its tail. He may see, too, that 
quaint and most interesting little beast, the brown mongoose, 
which is so common in East Africa, and goes about in large 
family parties. This jolly little creature, which is the personi- 
fication of curiosity, makes a most amusing and intelligent pet. 
As they trot along, sticking their noses into or under everything 
that is at all likely to shelter or hide anything that is eatable, 
these mongooses keep up a constant low squeaking noise. I have 
often watched them, and have had them come close up to me, 
sitting up on their hind legs, trying to make out what I was. It 
is one of the funniest sights to see them scampering along in a 
desperate hurry on being frightened, and diving one after the 
other into the chimney-like holes of an ant-heap, in which they 
nearly always live. There are scores of other interesting little 
animals, too numerous to mention, all of which add consider- 
ably to the pleasures of a day’s shooting to anyone who is at 
all keen to observe the habits of little-known creatures. 
Bird life is particularly in evidence in the early morning, — 
vand everything that has a voice seems to make use of it tothe 
