NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



" distant " one. The train past, Jack mutely pulls 

 back the lever. Jack knew every one of the various 

 signals, and which lever to pull, as well as his master 

 did himself. Mr Geo. B. Howe, writing in the 

 year 1890, after a visit to Jack, said : " It was very 

 touching to see his fondness for his master. As I 

 drew near they were both sitting on the trolley, one 

 of the baboon's arms around his master's neck, the 

 other stroking his face. At my approach Jack j umped 

 to the ground, but his strong love could not be 

 restrained : now he was stroking Wide's face, then 

 his hand, then, with a touch as light as a woman's, 

 brushing a speck of dust off his master's trousers, 

 and the while keeping up an incessant chatter." 



One day his master, crossing the line to take a 

 stone out of the points, fell and hurt his arm, and 

 Jack took over all his master's duties until he 

 recovered. 



The work was by no means light. Off and on all 

 day the levers were worked. Jack stood 4 ft. 6 in. 

 in height, and his strength was so great that he 

 pulled the distant signal, which was three-quarters 

 of a mile off, with ease. Work over. Jack placed 

 the trolley on the line and pushed his master home. 



Wide cultivated a little patch of ground at his 

 cottage, and Jack assisted him by carrying away the 

 rubbish. While his master led the water on to the 

 beds Jack worked the pump. It was a most amusing 

 and instructive sight to see the baboon laboriously 

 working the pump handle. He loved his master so 



64 



