CORNERED BY BABOONS 281 



more than the usual number of zebras, harte- 

 beests, wildebeests, and Grant's and Thomson's 

 gazelles, when suddenly, upon issuing from a 

 bit of brush-veldt, he came to the edge of a 

 deep ravine through which, during the rainy 

 season, a stream had flowed. 



A much-worn and broken sandstone cliff that 

 varied from five to fifty feet in height capped 

 the top of the gorge on both sides. The steep 

 banks were strewn thickly with boulders and 

 great masses of rock that had broken from their 

 foundations and rolled down the hillside. Here 

 and there were bushes and small trees, and in 

 the bottom, some two hundred feet below, the 

 dry creek bed was filled with foliage. 



The beautiful sunrise, the magnificent scenery, 

 and the clear, crisp air led the Englishman to 

 tie his horse to a tree some distance from the 

 cliff and to sit down by a bush overlooking the 

 canon. 



Suddenly he saw a slight movement among 

 the rocks far down the ravine on the opposite 

 side of the gorge. Through his binoculars he 

 recognised the animal as a baboon. Then ap- 

 peared another and another, until the cliff 

 seemed to be alive with the creatures. 



