Return to Fontesvilla 



need hardly say that I had no intention of really 

 firing at the poor brute. I think that these 

 particular monkeys had been subjected to a 

 fusillade from time to time by those people 

 who had stayed at this wayside house, and were 

 therefore painfully conscious of the effect of 

 rifle fire. I have heard from residents in this 

 country that these baboons will attack a man if 

 anv of their number are molested. I cannot 



tf 



vouch for the truth of this statement, for I 

 never even shot at one they looked so 

 human, but I can quite imagine that a man 

 would have no chance whatever if he were 

 set upon by an angry crowd of these apes, and 

 would be torn to shreds in next to no time. I 

 have passed quite close to them often, but they 

 have not offered to molest me in any way, so 

 perhaps I was, after all, the subject for chaff. 



The next day after my failure to get a shot at 

 lions I went to Chimoio, intending to take the 

 train back to Fontesvilla. I had worn large holes 

 in my pair of veldt schoon. These are soft-tanned 

 and easy-fitting Dutch boots. I was just going 

 to throw them away, but catching sight of 

 Cooe's grinning face, tossed them to him, think- 

 ing he might like to try them on. He was hugely 

 delighted, promptly putting them on his feet, 

 and commenced swaggering about in front of the 

 house, to the envy and admiration of his less 



fortunate companions. 



103 



