KARROO BEASTS, BIRDS AND REPTILES. 241 



One of our friends, travel lin:^ on horseback, came 

 upon a number of baboons sitting in solemn parliament 

 on some rocks. He cantered towards them, anticip xt- 

 ing the fun of seeing the ungainly beasts take to their 

 heels in grotesque panic ; but was somewhat taken 

 aback on finding that — far from being intimidated by 

 his approach — they refused to move, and sat waiting 

 for him, reirardingj him the while with ominous calm- 

 ness. The canter subsided into a trot, and the trot 

 into a sedate walk — and still they sat there ; and so 

 defiant was the expression on each ugly face that at 

 last the intruder thouo-ht it wisost to turn back and 

 ride ignominiously away. 



A Dutch boy — one of a family temporarily camp- 

 ing in their own waggon on the farm, and employed 



by T , rambling one day in one of the far-off 



kloofs of the mountains, came near the haunt of a 

 party of baboons. Though an occasional bark broke 

 the stillness, only one of the animals was in sight, and 

 that a little one, probably left alone for a while during 

 the mother's search for food. With the baby baboon 

 in his arms the boy was soon speeding at his best pace 

 down the mountain ; and, if fortune had but favoured 

 his enterprise as it deserved, what a delightful " new 

 chum" would that day have been added to our collec- 

 tion of animals ! But too soon the whole troop of 

 baboons, missing their youngest hope, were in full 

 pursuit of the robber, on whom they gained so rapidly, 

 and with gestures so unmistakeably portending mis- 

 chief, that young Piet was only too glad to drop his 

 prize and run for his life. 



