MOZAMBIQUE TERRITORY, PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA (1) 31 
often remonstrates by snapping its mandibles and puffing itself 
up in a threatening attitude if an unfamiliar face appears. This 
is, of course, a form of bluff, as it will never attack. 
By now the collection was growing rapidly, and although one 
day was much the same as the next, there always seemed to be 
something happening which townspeople would probably call 
exciting. Perhaps even the most hardened bushman would have 
been perturbed if he had shared the experiences of two of Krantz’s 
pickaninnies. In the vicinity there were many kopjes covered with 
thick bush, which were the haunts of numerous baboons, monkeys, 
wild pigs, bushbuck, and leopards. The baboons were a real curse, 
as they used to descend at daybreak before anyone was around 
and raid the maize fields. The amount of damage a troop can do 
in a single raid is unbelievable, as they march through tearing 
down cob after cob, nibbling one occasionally and then throwing 
it away in favor of another. At a rough estimate they probably 
damage twenty times the amount they actually eat. To stop this 
nonsense, Krantz induced two pickaninnies to spend the night in 
a small grass shelter bordering the maize fields in order to keep 
off the early morning marauders. These shelters had been erected 
to shade boys stationed there to scare monkeys by day, and 
merely consisted of two thatched sides like a roof planted on the 
ground, open at both ends and just sufficiently long for a person 
to lie down with his head at one opening and his feet at the 
other. On the night in question, which was at the time of the 
full moon, the youngsters were huddled up together when one 
awoke and saw a huge form sniffing at his feet. In true native 
fashion he had the presence of mind to keep still, and the creature, 
evidently not hungry, moved on. I was present when the two 
arrived at our door and related excitedly how a lion had sniffed 
at their feet and passed on. The grown-up natives thought this a 
highly amusing episode and shrieked with delight, but the pick- 
aninnies had other views and refused to do any more night-work. 
They had our sympathy after we had inspected the place and seen 
for ourselves, by the spoor, that they had not merely been having 
bad dreams. 
My only night out was of a different sort and had a curious 
