OKDKi; II. QUADRUMAXA. 25 



take victuals out of it, csiiecially milk, of wliicli lie was very fond. !Mj 

 people chastised him for these thefts, hut that did not make hiin amend his 

 conduct. I myself sometimes whipped him, hut then he ran away, and 

 did not retm-n again to the tent until it grew daik. Once, as I was about 

 to dine, and had put the beans, which I had boiled for mvself, up<m a plate, 

 I heard the voice of a bird with which I was not acquainted. I left my 

 dinner standing, seized my gun, and ran out of the tent. After about a 

 quarter of an hour I returned, witii the bird in my hand, but, to my 

 astonishment, found not a single bean upon the i)late. Kces had stolen 

 them all, and taken himself out of the way. 



"Wiien he had committed any trespass of this kind, he used alwavs, 

 about the time when I drank tea, to return quietly, and scat himself in his 

 usual place, with every appearance of innocence, as if nothing had hap- 

 pened ; but this evening he did not let himself be seen. And on tiie 

 following day also he was not seen by any one; and, in conse([uence, I 

 began to grow seriously uneasy about him, and apprehensive that he might 

 be lost forever. But on the third day one of my people, who had been to 

 fetch water, informed me that he had seen Kecs in tliQ neigliboriiood ; Init 

 that, as soon as the animal espied him, he had concealed himself again. I 

 immediately went out, and beat the whole neiglihorhood with my dogs. 

 All at once I heard a "cry like that which Kees used to make when I re- 

 turned from my shooting and had not taken him with me. I looked about, 

 and at length espied him, endeavoring to hide himself behind the large 

 branches of a tree. I now called to him in a friendly tone of voice, and 

 made motions to him to come down to me. ]»ut he could not trust me, 

 and I was obliged to climb up tiie tree to fetch him. He did not attempt 

 to fly, and we returned together to my quarters. Here he expected to re- 

 ceive his punishment; but I did notliing, as it would have been of no use. 



" When any eatables had been pilfered at my quarters the fault was 

 always laid first upon Kees ; and rarely -was the accusation unfounded. 

 For a time, the eggs, which a hen laid me, were constantly stolen away, 

 and I wished to ascertain whether I had to attribute this loss als.o to him. 

 For this purpose I went one morning to watch him, and waited till the hen 

 announced by her cackling that slie had laid an cti"-. Kees was sittinix 

 upon my vehicle, but the moment he heard the hen's voice he leaped 

 down, and was running to fetch the egg when he saw me. lie suddenly 

 stopped, and affected a careless posture, swaying himself backwards upon 

 his hind legs, and assuming a very innocent look ; in short, he employed 

 all his art to deceive me with respect to his design. His hypocritical 

 maniEuvrcs onl}^ confirmed my suspicions, and in order, in my turn, to 

 deceive him, I pretended not to attend to him, and turned my back to the 



NO. I. 4 



