

MISCHIEVOUS BABOON. 105 



and pass a verdict of approval or otherwise on its 

 execution. 



The cubs by this time had become silent, either 

 from depression of spirits or fatigue. Thus " Paul 

 Pry" was unaware what the box contained. 

 Stealthily he laid a hand upon its side, and care- 

 fully and gradually raised himself on to the top. 

 This movement aroused the captives, for both 

 simultaneously gave a yell, and the way that baboon 

 jumped and the velocity with which he scuttled into 

 the top of an adjoining tree was truly marvellous. 

 It was quite an hour before the ape recovered his 

 equanimity ; not even the sight of our food for at 

 all meals he was a constant attendant could induce 

 him to descend from his sanctuary. 



All the monkey family are perverse, queer 

 brutes. When present at our meals, my baboon 

 was perfectly amenable to the conventionalities of 

 good society, while a solemn earnestness marked 

 his physiognomy that was quite assuring. But let 

 me be called away from the scene for an instant, 

 and immediately there was mischief. Pots, pans, 

 plates, would be sent flying, often the scalding hash 

 or soup over the back of a dog or the rump of 

 an ox or horse, and the dinner space became 

 the scene of the wildest disorder ; while the delin- 

 quent, the cause of all this disturbance, what had 

 become of him ? Probably he would be found on 

 the top of the tilt of the waggon, chattering and 



