CORNERED BY BABOONS 283 



pened to one of the youngsters that involved 

 the Englishman in the performance. 



Two young baboons were engaged in a strug- 

 gle on the opposite side of the gorge. Suddenly 

 they broke away; the one who had been getting 

 the worst of the struggle turned quickly and 

 started to run. At that moment a third animal 

 rushed up and headed it off. Seeing that its 

 escape was blocked from that quarter, the lit- 

 tle fellow again turned and tried to dodge past 

 its first antagonist. The somewhat larger and 

 stronger animal was too quick for it, however, 

 and the two came together violently on the very 

 brink of the thirty -foot precipice. 



The force of the impact sent the young ape 

 toppling over the edge of the cliff. Its little 

 arms reached out in a vain effort to find a grip 

 and the next instant it was falling through the 

 air to the jagged rocks below. 



There was a faint thud as the little body 

 struck; then it lay motionless. 



The Englishman snatched his rifle and, run- 

 ning along the edge of the cliff, found a place 

 to descend. The instant he appeared, the troop 

 caught sight of him and bounded up into the 

 high rocks, where they sat chattering and scold- 



