THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 25 



crowd of men and boys of every imaginable shade of colour, 

 from pure white to dark mahogany. 



From everywhere the people poured. Shop assistants 

 bolted out hatless and coatless, customers forgot about 

 their purchases, and joined in the chase. Old men hobbled 

 and ladies rushed into the first open doorway, or down the 

 alleys. It was really astonishing how the people in front 

 of me melted away into nothingness when they saw me 

 approaching, with teeth gleaming, and the most ferocious 

 expression of face I could put on. 



Seeing a large open doorway, I ran in. It turned out 

 to be a glassware shop, and there were tables all over the 

 floor, and scores of shelves packed with beautiful vases, 

 bowls, glasses, cups and saucers, and all kinds of wonderful 

 things. There were a lot of people in the shop ; and in 

 their haste to get out of my way upset a dozen tables. In 

 my terror I climbed up the shelves, and somehow every- 

 thing I touched seemed to topple over and fall with a crash 

 to the ground. Then the crowd came surging up, and the 

 shop was soon packed with people. I barked furiously, 

 and exposed my big teeth, whereupon there was a back- 

 ward rush, and, with a report like a cannon, a huge plate 

 glass show window was burst. 



Taking advantage of the confusion, I shpped off down 

 a passage, and found myself in a yard. Several coloured 

 men ran screaming to the nearest shelter. From the garden 

 I clambered over the wall, and presently found myself 

 once again almost surrounded with people. I climbed 

 up a verandah pole and swung myself on to the roof, and 

 managed to get right up to the top. The people below 

 began to pelt me with stones and all kinds of things. I 

 followed their example, and tore the tiles off the roof and 

 pitched them down. This soon scattered the crowd. 

 But they only moved farther away. Seeing a chimney, 

 I took refuge behind it, and was safe for a time. However, 



