NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



large male was keeping me under observation all the 

 time ; but considering me an inoffensive sort of 

 person he was not alarmed, and the other members 

 of the troop sprawled on the rocks or played practical 

 jokes with one another. They were quite satisfied 

 that if there was any danger, or even the slightest 

 suspicion of it, their leader would give the alarm. 

 Suddenly I pulled a pair of field-glasses from my 

 pocket and applied them to my eyes. On the 

 instant the old male baboon gave a succession of 

 warning grunts and barks, and every baboon of 

 the troop vanished from sight behind boulders or 

 into crevices in the rocks. Watching closely I saw 

 a score or more of baboons peering at me over the 

 top or round the corners of boulders, their eyes 

 and eyebrows alone being visible. They remained 

 hidden until I retired to some distance. The field- 

 glasses were new to them, and they, no doubt, 

 suggested something of the nature of a firearm. 



The Kafirs in Natal are not allowed to possess 

 firearms, except in the case of a privileged few, and 

 the baboons knew this perfectly well — they didn't 

 know of the Government regulation, but they knew 

 a Kafir rarely carried a firearm. So taking ad- 

 vantage of this fact they used to invade the Kafirs' 

 mealie and amabele fields in the boldest manner; 

 and when the natives turned out with their dogs, 

 the baboons would sullenly retire, the warriors of 

 the troop falling to the rear and barking threaten- 

 ingly as they retreated. Sometimes when the men 



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