THE HONEY BADGER 231 



used to declare was especially designed by Provi- 

 dence for the correction of youth, there hung with 

 great determination a curious - looking animal. 

 This pendant beast was like neither dog nor cat ; 

 it looked, rather, a curious mixture between an 

 otter and a badger, was about the size of the latter, 

 and gave one the impression of having been 

 originally more or less grey all over but having, 

 by accident, fallen into some black substance 

 which had so coloured it half-way up the flanks 

 and almost to the top of its head. The teet 

 terminated in good serviceable claws, and the 

 expression on the animal's face as it maintained its 

 determined hold was one of placid resolution. 

 This I afterwards ascertained to be a honey 

 badger. Several others of my people having by 

 this time appeared upon the scene, the sufferer 

 was speedily relieved, but no sooner had the honey 

 badger been discouraged from maintaining his 

 grip on the carrier by means of heavy blows from 

 a stick than, instead of retreating like any well- 

 ordered beast into the fastnesses of the bush, he 

 transferred his attentions to my gun-bearer whom 

 he attacked quietly but mischievously. Having 

 by this time two men suffering more or less as the 

 result of this small but determined animal's bites 

 I had now no option but to shoot him. 



He was a fine, well-grown specimen, and I 

 kept his skin by me for several years. It was a 

 curious trophy, of great thickness, and when 

 stretched from having been pegged out, appeared 

 to have come from some animal of considerably 

 larger size. To this curious fact — namely, the 



