There were certain hours of the day when it was 

 more pleasant and profitable to lie in the shade and rest. 

 It is the time of rest for the Bush veld that spell 

 about middle-day ; and yet if one remains quiet, there 

 is generally something to see and something worth 

 watching. There were the insects on the ground 

 about one which would not otherwise be seen at all ; 

 there were caterpillars clad in spiky armour made of 

 tiny fragments of grass fair defence no doubt against 

 some enemies and a most marvellous disguise ; other 

 caterpillars clad in bark, impossible to detect until 

 they moved ; there were grasshoppers like leaves/and 

 irregularly shaped stick insects, with legs as bulky as 

 the body, and all jointed by knots like irregular twigs 

 wonderful mimetic creatures. 



Jock often found these things for me. Something 

 would move and interest him ; and when I saw him 

 stand up and examine a thing at his feet, turning it 

 over with his nose or giving it a scrape with his paw, 

 it was usually worth joining in the inspection. The 

 Hottentot-gods always attracted him as they reared 

 up and * prayed ' before him ; quaint things, with tiny 

 heads and thin necks and enormous eyes, that sat up 

 with forelegs raised to pray, as a pet dog sits up and 

 begs. 



One day I was watching the ants as they travelled 

 along their route sometimes stopping to hobnob with 

 those they met, sometimes hurrying past, and some- 

 times turning as though sent back on a message or 

 reminded of something forgotten when a little dry 

 brown bean lying in a spot of sunlight gave a jump 



34 



