30 



ON SAFARI 



grouse that scares a Highland stag. Here more serious 

 obstacles confront the stalker, in particular the " grass- 

 antelopes," duikers and steinbucks, dik-diks and such-like, 

 that often start from underfoot precisely at the critical 

 moment, and, by bouncing away, leaping over bush and 

 branch, disturb everything else within sight. Then a 

 great wart-hog, twenty stone in weight, may spring 

 from his lair, grunting and snorting, with all bristles 



WART-HOO. 



erect and tail upright as a flagstaff, as he crashes through 

 brushwood and thorn. In each case the stalker's labour 

 is lost. But at least in East Africa I have never been 

 thwarted by birds — that is, by the honey-guides 

 (Indicator), the louries and social shrikes, that in the 

 Transvaal so often gave a note of warnino' to otherwise 

 unsuspecting game. 



Charming examples of animal-instinct — approximat- 

 ing to reason — constantly occur to the silent stalker. 

 Thus the savage wart-hog aforesaid may dash, snorting 

 and tail erect, through herds of grazing gazelles. Up 



