HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 61 
and congregate round the trap, urging the captives with ear- 
splitting yells and grunts to find their way out. Some of the 
boldest jump right on to the top of the trap, and appear to carry 
on an excited conversation with their friends inside. At least 
that is what the American Professor Garner would say, who, 
by dint of much imagination and little science, has for years 
past been laboriously constructing a monkey-language. 
The hunters, however, cannot afford to wait while this 
scene is going on, for baboons are endowed with great 
strength, and would soon break through the walls of their 
cage. On the approach of their captors they show all the 
signs of extreme terror, and endeavour to force their heads 
through the walls. And now, as may easily be imagined, 
comes the really critical and dangerous part of the performance, 
namely, to take the animals out of the cage and secure them. 
The hunters are provided with long stakes, forked at the 
end, which they push through the branches forming the cage- 
wall. With the forked ends they catch the baboon’s neck, 
and pin him to the ground. When all the baboons have been 
‘thus secured the upper part of the cage is removed, and the 
creatures are firmly bound. First their jaws are muzzled with 
strong cord, made of palm-strips; then hands and feet are 
tied ; and lastly, to make assurance doubly sure, the animal’s 
whole body is wrapped up in cloth, so that the captive has the 
appearance of a great smoked sausage! The parcel is then 
suspended from a pole carried by two persons, and conveyed 
triumphantly to the station. 
These great baboons have strong nerves—no wonder, 
they neither smoke, drink, nor do any work, and always live 
in the fresh summer air! So, after a brief period of exhaustion, 
followed by a day or two of quiet, they recover their normal 
spirits. The large males must, however, be carefully watched. 
They are very angry and jealous, and will probably kill any 
other of their kind put in to keep them company. Even 
females are likely to have a poor time of it; for the males 
keep all the food to themselves, and allow their women to go 
