THE BABOONS 249 



I was officially bidden. It was, of course, cus- 

 tomary to attend these functions in full uniform, 

 and the scene in the small church — of corrugated 

 iron, and containing a temperature not usually 

 associated with places of worship — was quite a 

 brilliant one. On this occasion, on leaving, I was 

 accompanied by an officer of the Lisbon Civil 

 Guard some distance on my return to the Con- 

 sulate. He was, needless to say, very smartly 

 uniformed, and bore in his helmet a fine plume 

 of cock's feathers not unlike those worn by 

 British General Officers. After a moment of 

 adieux, he turned into the gardens of his residence, 

 and I continued upon my way. Before I had 

 traversed a dozen yards, however, I heard an 

 exclamation ot alarm, and, turning quickly, saw 

 the officer, his helmet hanging over the back of 

 his neck, rush from the premises hotly pursued 

 by a large chacma baboon holding, as it tore after 

 him, a good-sized double handful of the beautiful 

 cock's feathers to which I have just alluded. The 

 pursuit was a short one, the officer drew his sword, 

 and made a number of rapid but ineffectual 

 passes at his active assailant who, despite a dis- 

 play of fine swordsmanship, always kept just out 

 of reach of the whistling blade. A moment after- 

 wards we joined forces, and the baboon was 

 driven off. This animal was the property ot a 

 neighbouring railway employ^, and having got 

 loose allowed my military friend to get quite 

 close to the tree in which he had taken refuge 

 when, leaping lightly upon his shoulders as he 

 passed, he seized the smart helmet by the plume, 



