286 AFRICAN ADVENTURE STORIES 



which had canine teeth as long and as sharp as 

 those of a mastiff dog. 



It was fully a hundred feet to the top of the 

 cliff. There was nothing for him to do except 

 to look for a place in which to hide. 



At intervals the soft, sandstone ledge had 

 cracked and split open and the action of the 

 weather, together with the gradual settling of 

 the rock, had caused the fissures to spread into 

 varying widths. A V-shaped recess, not more 

 than three feet wide at the entrance and run- 

 ning back into the rocks some fifteen feet, was 

 the nearest available refuge that he could find. 

 The baboons, widely scattered when they first 

 began charging, concentrated as they drew near. 

 When the Englishman ducked into the crevice, 

 cocked his rifle, and stood waiting to meet their 

 onslaught, they formed a solid mass of screaming, 

 howling demons. For a few seconds they dis- 

 appeared from view; the next instant they came 

 bounding over the rocks like a pack of famished 

 wolves. 



When they were within ten feet of the open- 

 ing, the Englishman fired. They jumped aside 

 and one of them rolled down the hill. The oth- 

 ers scattered and ducked out of sight. But soon 



