THE CAPE BABOON OR BAVIAN 



to bark for some time, but eventually ceased, and 

 all was silent, save the occasional cry of some night 

 animal or bird in the adjacent forest. 



Grimly we waited for daylight, to annihilate this 

 troop of baboons which had for two years or more 

 been raiding the cultivated fields in the neighbour- 

 hood. On the first appearance of dawn we care- 

 fully watched for some signs of the baboons, know- 

 ing too well their cunning and crafty nature, but 

 all was still — not a movement amongst the rocks 

 in the face of the krantz could we see. 



When the light grew strong we, who were below, 

 fired a volley at the rocks ; and from the tangled, 

 thorny undergrowth in the midst of the forest at 

 the back of us, the baboons barked derisively. Yes, 

 we had been out-generalled. The baboons, under 

 cover of darkness, had actually stolen past us through 

 the grass and escaped into the forest, which offered 

 a perfect sanctuary, at least from us. The baboons 

 must have crept past us in single file, for we were 

 standing on guard, each beside his horse, within 

 fifty paces of one another. 



Pressed by hunger, the baboons have of late 

 taken to stealing ostrich eggs. They break the 

 shells by banging the eggs against each other, or 

 on a stone. I saw a baboon take up an ostrich egg 

 and carry it to a small boulder and drop it upon the 

 stone. It was careful not to cast it violently down, 

 knowing that if the shell was badly smashed, the 

 contents would escape. The egg^ in this instance, 



39 



