“Do not you think that animals may be tamed by kindness, if you can produce in them the necessary proportion of love and fear?”
“Yes, I was about to say every animal, but I believe some must be excepted; and this is from their having so great a fear of man, rather than from any other cause. If their fear could be overcome, they might be tamed. Of course there are some animals which have not sufficient reasoning power to admit of their being tamed; for instance, who would ever think of taming a scorpion?”
“I believe that there is one animal which, although taken as a cub, has resisted every attempt to tame it in the slightest degree, is the grizzly bear of North America.”
“I have heard so too,” replied Swinton; “at all events, up to the present time they have been unsuccessful. It is an animal of most unamiable disposition, that is certain; and I would rather encounter ten lions, if all that they say of it is true. But it is time for us to go to bed. Those fires are getting rather low. Who has the watch?”
The Major rose and walked round to find the Hottentot who was on that duty, and found him fast asleep. After sundry kicks in the ribs, the fellow at last woke up.
“Is it your watch?”
“Yaw, Mynher,” replied Big Adam, rolling out of his kaross.
“Well, then, you keep it so well, that you will have no tobacco next time it is served out.”
“Gentlemen all awake and keep watch, so I go to sleep a little,” replied Adam, getting up on his legs.
“Look to your fires, sir,” replied the Major walking to his waggon.