NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



large male was keeping me under observation all the 

 time ; but considering me an inoffensive sort of 

 person he v^as not alarmed, and the other members 

 of the troop sprav^led on the rocks or played practical 

 jokes w^ith one another. They were quite satisfied 

 that if there was any danger, or even the slightest 

 suspicion of it, their leader would give the alarm. 

 Suddenly I pulled a pair of field-glasses from my 

 pocket and applied them to my eyes. On the 

 instant the old male baboon gave a succession of 

 warning grunts and barks, and every baboon of 

 the troop vanished from sight behind boulders or 

 into crevices in the rocks. Watching closely I saw 

 a score or more of baboons peering at me over the 

 top or round the corners of boulders, their eyes 

 and eyebrows alone being visible. They remained 

 hidden until I retired to some distance. The field- 

 glasses were new to them, and they, no doubt, 

 suggested something of the nature of a firearm. 



The Kafirs in Natal are not allowed to possess 

 firearms, except in the case of a privileged few, and 

 the baboons knew this perfectly well — they didn't 

 know of the Government regulation, but they knew 

 a Kafir rarely carried a firearm. So taking ad- 

 vantage of this fact they used to invade the Kafirs' 

 mealie and amabele fields in the boldest manner ; 

 and when the natives turned out with their dogs, 

 the baboons would sullenly retire, the warriors of 

 the troop falling to the rear and barking threaten- 

 ingly as they retreated. Sometimes when the men 



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