164 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP, XVIII. 
All at once we heard a rumbling sound like distant 
thunder, with a 4 burr ’ in it, and the Hottentot soldiers 
exclaimed, 4 0ch, myn Grot!’ starting off as if Old Nick 
had kicked them. Somerset tumbled from the tree, 
and we seven brave British officers took to our heels as 
fast as our legs could cdrry us, following the Totties, 
each thinking that a lion or a tiger was going to catch 
the hindmost. We ran fully one hundred yards before 
we overtook the nimble Totties, which we did at last, 
and demanded what the cause of alarm was. 4 Och, 
myn Grot, zeur, dat is de Hood moot! ’ ( 4 It is the death 
moth ! ’ ) they exclaimed, and we all burst out laughing 
to think that a British army had been put to flight by a 
moth. The Hottentots still appeared terrified, and each 
of them broke off the branch of a tree and looked about 
them, when a big moth certainly appeared and kept 
circling over our heads. One of the natives struck it 
down with the branch. It was a good deal bruised ; but 
the 4 Doctor,’ one of our party, examined it, and declared 
there was a sting in the great insect’s tail, and that it was 
not known in natural history that any moth had a sting. 
We then started to return to the bees’ nest but 
nothing would induce the Totties to accompany us, as 
they declared that they had seen two moths come out 
of the hive. We, however, were not to be daunted, 
and, marching back in a body, proceeded to take out 
the rest of the honey. 
