These things, which looked like quills, were thick in the middle,
tapering to each end, and had little black and white rings all the way
round them.

Jock could not imagine what it could be, but at this moment the round,
prickly ball began to move towards him, and Jock backed away, sniffing
and snarling, and keeping at a safe distance from those sharp-pointed
things which looked like big, thick needles.

When the prickly ball was quite close to him, it moved round, and
then, to his surprise, Jock saw a peculiar head with small ears, tiny
eyes--very like a pig's--and a thick, heavy nose or muzzle.

It was evidently an animal, but Jock had never seen anything like it
before. The front part of its body was covered with hair, and upon the
head and neck there were some very long, stiff hairs, which formed a
curious sort of crest, and this crest the animal moved up and down in
the fiercest manner imaginable. All the rest of its body was covered
with long, sharp quills or spines, which looked like hundreds of
small, prickly spears sticking out all over it. Its legs were short,
and on its feet were sharp and strong claws.

Suddenly Jock knew what it was. It was a porcupine.

Now Jock had not been out in West Africa very long, and, though he had
been told by his dog friends of the porcupine, this was the first time
he had really seen one, and he did not care for the experience at all.

However, he was not going to be afraid of a porcupine, and, as it did
not look particularly fierce, but rather stupid, and moved in a very