HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 59 
left in the dry river-bed, in places where the subsoil prevented 
the water from trickling away ; and close to our station were 
several such pools which the baboons used as drinking-places. 
All day long we used to hear them fighting and chattering as 
they came to drink, and even by night there was little quiet. 
On the narrow ledge of rock above the pools whole families 
—or perhaps I should say harems—used to collect. We 
could hear plainly the low grunts and squeaks with which the 
mother lulls her baby to rest; we could hear the grumbling of 
the father, who has been disturbed by the noise. Suddenly 
there would be a yell; and thereupon the whole herd would 
break into frantic screaming. The baboon’s arch-enemy, the 
slinking panther, has tried to make an assault. It was im- 
possible to help admiring the fine old males, full of courage 
and self-reliance. It was to make their nearer acquaint- 
ance that we had come here; and since they were not suffi- 
ciently versed in European politeness to accept an invitation, 
more active measures must be taken to secure their attend- 
ance. 
In the success of these more active measures we were 
greatly aided by the arrival at our station of our old friend 
Abdulla Okutt—a member of the half-savage tribe of Basas 
and a well-known ostrich-hunter. All the apparatus required 
consisted of cords and a few axes, together with a number 
of assistants, who of course expected to be liberally re- 
warded with “backsheesh” for each animal captured. Ah! 
poor monkeys, look out for yourselves now; the mighty 
Abdulla is on your tracks! 
The first thing to be done was to stop up all the drinking- 
pools, save one, with thorn-bushes. The baboons were thus 
all compelled to use this one. They took to it the more 
readily, in that, the whole time we were there, we had been 
careful not to interfere with or frighten them in any way, so that 
they were quite unsuspicious of any trap. We encouraged 
them still further by scattering doura about the pool—a pro- 
ceeding which was so much appreciated that the older 
