“I’m sound as a bell,” said Hans; “and for the rest of your inquiries2 I’ll answer them all as soon as Swartboy has skinned this ‘aard-vark,’ and Totty has cooked a piece of it for supper; but I’m too hungry to talk now, so pray excuse me.”
As Hans gave this reply, he cast from his shoulders an animal nearly as big as a sheep, covered with long bristly hair of a reddish-grey colour, and having a huge tail, thick at the root, and tapering3 like a carrot; a snout nearly a foot long, but quite slender and naked; a very small mouth; erect4 pointed5 ears resembling a pair of horns; a low flattish body; short muscular legs; and claws of immense length, especially on the fore7-feet, where, instead of spreading out, they were doubled back like shut fists, or the fore hands of a monkey. Altogether a very odd animal was that which Hans had styled an “aard-vark,” and which he desired should be cooked for supper.
“Well, my boy,” replied Von Bloom, “we’ll excuse you, the more so that we are all of us about as hungry as yourself, I fancy. But I think we may as well leave the ‘aard-vark’ for to-morrow’s dinner. We’ve a couple of peacocks here, and Totty will get one of them ready sooner than the aard-vark.”
“As for that,” rejoined Hans, “I don’t care which. I’m just in the condition to eat anything—even a steak of tough old quagga, if I had it; but I think it would be no harm if Swartboy—that is, if you’re not too tired, old Swart—would just peel the skin off this gentleman.”
Hans pointed to the “aard-vark.” “And dress him so that he don’t spoil,” he continued; “for you know, Swartboy, that he’s a tit-bit—a regular bonne bouche—and it would be a pity to let him go to waste in this hot weather. An aard-vark’s not to be bagged every day.”
“You spreichen true, Mynheer Hans,—Swartboy know all dat. Him skin an’ dress da goup.”
And, so saying, Swartboy out knife, and set to work upon the carcass.
Now this singular-looking animal which Hans called an “aard-vark,” and Swartboy a “goup,” was neither more nor less than the African ant-eater (Orycteropus Capensis).
Although the colonists10 term it “aard-vark,” which is the Dutch for “ground-hog11,” the animal has but little in common with the hog kind. It certainly bears some resemblance to a pig about the snout and cheeks; and that, with its bristly hair and burrowing13 habits, has no doubt given rise to the mistaken name. The “ground” part of the title is from the fact that it is a burrowing animal,—indeed, one of the best “terriers” in the world. It can make its way under ground faster than the spade can follow it, and faster than any badger14. In size, habits, and the form of many parts of its body, it bears a striking resemblance to its South American cousin the “tamanoir” (Myrmecophaga jubata), which of late years has become so famous as almost to usurp15 the title of “ant-eater.” But the “aard-vark” is just as good an ant-eater as he,—can “crack” as thick-walled a house, can rake up and devour16 as many termites17 as any “ant-bear” in the length and breadth of the Amazon Valley. He has got, moreover, as “tall” a tail as the tamanoir, very nearly as long a snout, a mouth equally small, and a tongue as extensive and extensile. In claws he can compare with his American cousin any day, and can walk just as awkwardly upon the sides of his fore-paws with “toes turned in.” Why, then, may I ask, do we hear so much talk of the “tamanoir,” while not a word is said of the “aard-vark?” Every museum and menagerie is bragging18 about having a specimen19 of the former, while not one cares to acknowledge their possession of the latter! Why this envious20 distinction? I say it’s all Barnum. It’s because the “aard-vark” is a Dutchman—a Cape9 boor—and the boors21 have been much bullied22 of late. That’s the reason why zoologists23 and showmen have treated my thick-tailed boy so shabbily. But it shan’t be so any longer; I stand up for the aard-vark; and, although the tamanoir has been specially6 called Myrmecophaga, or ant-eater, I say that the Orycteropus is as good an ant-eater as he. He can break through ant-hills quite as big and bigger—some of them twenty-feet high—he can project as long and as gluey a tongue—twenty inches long—he can play it as nimbly and “lick up” as many white ants, as any tamanoir. He can grow as fat too, and weigh as heavy, and, what is greatly to his credit, he can provide you with a most delicate roast when you choose to kill and eat him. It is true he tastes slightly of formic acid, but that is just the flavour that epicures24 admire. And when you come to speak of “hams,”—ah! try his! Cure them well and properly, and eat one, and you will never again talk of “Spanish” or “Westphalian.”
Hans knew the taste of those hams—well he did, and so too Swartboy; and it was not against his inclination25, but con8 amore, that the latter set about butchering the “goup.” Swartboy knew how precious a morsel26 he held between his fingers,—precious, not only on account of its intrinsic goodness, but from its rarity; for although the aard-vark is a common animal in South Africa, and in some districts even numerous, it is not every day the hunter can lay his hands upon one. On the contrary, the creature is most difficult to capture; though not to kill, for a blow on the snout will do that.
But just as he is easily killed when you catch him, in the same proportion is he hard to catch. He is shy and wary27, scarce ever comes out of his burrow12 but at night; and even then skulks28 so silently along, and watches around him so sharply, that no enemy can approach without his knowing it. His eyes are very small, and, like most nocturnal animals, he sees but indifferently; but in the two senses of smell and hearing he is one of the sharpest. His long erect ears enable him to catch every sound that may be made in his neighbourhood, however slight.
The “aard-vark” is not the only ant-eating quadruped of South Africa. There is another four-footed creature as fond of white ants as he; but this is an animal of very different appearance. It is a creature without hair; but, instead its body is covered all over with a regular coat of scales, each as large as a half-crown piece. These scales slightly overlie each other, and can be raised on end at the will of the animal. In form it resembles a large lizard29, or a small crocodile, more than an ordinary quadruped, but its habits are almost exactly like those of the aard-vark. It burrows30, digs open the ant-hills by night, projects a long viscous31 tongue among the insects, and devours32 them with avidity.
When suddenly overtaken, and out of reach of its underground retreat, it “clews” up like the hedgehog, and some species of the South American armadillos—to which last animal it bears a considerable resemblance on account of its scaly33 coat of mail.
This ant-eater is known as the “pangolin,” or “manis,” but there are several species of “pangolin” not African. Some are met with in Southern Asia and the Indian islands. That which is found in South Africa is known among naturalists34 as the “long-tailed” or “Temminck” pangolin (Manis Temminckii).
Totty soon produced a roasted “peacock,” or rather a hastily-broiled bustard. But, although, perhaps, not cooked “to a turn,” it was sufficiently35 well done to satisfy the stomachs for which it was intended. They were all too hungry to be fastidious, and, without a word of criticism, they got through their dinner.
Hans then commenced relating the history of his day’s adventure.
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1
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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2
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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3
tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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4
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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5
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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6
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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7
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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8
con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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9
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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10
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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11
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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12
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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13
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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14
badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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15
usurp
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| vt.篡夺，霸占；vi.篡位 | |
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16
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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17
termites
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| n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 ) | |
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18
bragging
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话 | |
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19
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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20
envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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21
boors
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| n.农民( boor的名词复数 )；乡下佬；没礼貌的人；粗野的人 | |
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22
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
zoologists
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| 动物学家( zoologist的名词复数 ) | |
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24
epicures
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| n.讲究饮食的人( epicure的名词复数 ) | |
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25
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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26
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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27
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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28
skulks
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的第三人称单数 ) | |
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29
lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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30
burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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31
viscous
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| adj.粘滞的，粘性的 | |
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32
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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33
scaly
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| adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的 | |
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34
naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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35
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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