Ill ON ANIMAL LIFE 75 



gallops under the influence of a false alarm 

 many times in a day. Those who have 

 crouched at night by the side of pools in the 

 desert, in order to have a shot at the beasts 

 that frequent it, see strange scenes of animal 

 life ; how the creatures gambol at one moment 

 and fight at another ; how a herd suddenly 

 halts in strained attention, and then breaks 

 into a maddened rush as one of them becomes 

 conscious of the stealthy movements or rank 

 scent of a beast of prey. Now this hourly life- 

 and-death excitement is a keen delight to 

 most wild creatures, but must be peculiarly 

 distracting to the comfort-loving temperament 

 of others. The latter are alone suited to 

 endure the crass habits and dull routine of 

 domesticated life. Suppose that an animal 

 which has been captured and half-tamed, 

 received ill-usage from his captors, either as 

 punishment or through mere brutality, and 

 that he rushed indignantly into the forest 

 with his ribs aching from blows and stones. 

 If a comfort-loving animal, he will probably 

 be no gainer by the change, more serious 

 alarms and no less ill-usage awaits him : he 



