122 HIPPO AND LEOPARD [ch. v 
When they sit on their haunches their attitude is that 
neither of a dog nor of a cat so much as of a big 
monkey. On the whole, they are much more easily 
domesticated than most other cats, but, as with all 
highly developed wild creatures, they show great indi¬ 
vidual variability of character and disposition. They 
have a very curious note, a bird-like chirp, in uttering 
which they twist the upper lip as if whistling. When 
I first heard it I was sure that it was uttered by some 
bird, and looked about quite a time before finding that 
it was the call of a cheetah. 
Then there was a tame wart-hog, very friendly 
indeed, which usually wandered loose, and was as 
comical as pigs generally are, with its sudden starts and 
grunts. Finally, there was a young tommy buck and 
a Grant’s gazelle doe, both of which were on good terms 
with everyone and needed astonishingly little looking 
after to prevent their straying. When I was returning 
to the house on the morning I killed the rhinoceros, 1 
met the string of porters and the ox-waggon just after 
they had left the gate on their way to the carcass. The 
Grant doe had been attracted by the departure, and 
was following immediately behind the last porter. A 
wild-looking Masai warrior, to whom, as I learned, the 
especial care of the gazelle had been entrusted for that 
day, was running as hard as he could after her from the 
gate; when he overtook her he ran in between her and 
the rearmost porter, and headed her for the farm gate, 
uttering what sounded like wild war-cries, and brandish¬ 
ing his spear. They formed a really absurd couple, the 
little doe slowly and decorously walking back to the 
farm, quite unmoved by the clamour and threats, while 
her guardian, the very image of what a savage warrior 
should look when on the war-path, walked close behind, 
