He was standing at
three or four paces distance from the base of the hill. He was standing
sideways with his head turned to it, and regarding it with a wild look.
His attitude was entirely changed, and so, I thought, was the expression
of his eye. He looked as if he had just run off to his new position, and
was ready to make a second start. He looked as if something had also
terrified him!

Something evidently had; for, in another moment, he uttered a sharp
rout, galloped several paces farther out, wheeled again, halted, and
stood gazing as before!

What could it mean? Was it the breaking through of the roof and my
sudden descent that had frightened him?

At first I thought so, but I observed that he did not look upward to the
top. His gaze seemed bent on some object near the base of the
hill--though from where I stood I could see nothing there to frighten
him.

I had not time to reflect what it could be, before the bull uttered a
fresh snort; and, raising its tail high into the air, struck off at full
gallop over the plain!

Rejoiced at seeing this, I thought no more of what had relieved me of
his company. It must have been my curious fall, I concluded; but no
matter now that the brute was gone. So seizing hold of my gun, I
prepared to descend from the elevated position of which I was thoroughly
tired.

Just as I had got half down the side, I chanced to look below; and there
was the object that terrified the old bull. No wonder. It might have
terrified anything,--the odd-looking creature that it was. From out a
hole in the clay wall protruded a long naked cylindrical snout, mounted
by a pair of ears nearly as long as itself, that stood erect like the
horns of a steinbuck, and gave to the animal that bore them a wild and
vicious look. It would have badly frightened me, had I not known what it
was; but I recognised it at once as one of the most inoffensive
creatures in the world--the 'aard-vark.'

His appearance accounted for the retreat of the bull, and also explained
why the ants had been crawling about on my first reaching their hill.

Without saying a word, or making the slightest noise, I clubbed my gun;
and, bending downward, struck the protruded snout a blow with the butt.
It was a most wicked blow; and, considering the service the creature had
just done me in frightening off the wildebeest, a most ungrateful
return. But I was not master of my feelings at the moment. I did not
reflect--only that I liked