40 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



manes erect. The Cheetah stood his ground and snarled, 

 but when he saw over a hundred of us making for him 

 he bounded into the bush and vanished. We assisted our 

 wounded comrade up the rocks, and left him in a little 

 cave high up in the krantz. 



Three times this Cheetah attacked us, and twice did 

 he get safely away with one of our children. We often 

 chased him, but he was altogether too nimble and active 

 for us to overtake. We discovered his lair one day, and 

 gathered round the mouth of it, and barked. He spat and 

 growled and snarled, but wouldn't come out. None of us 

 had the courage to go in and attack him, for the entrance 

 was narrow, and we all knew whoever ventured first, would 

 be killed or badly wounded, before the rest of us could 

 swarm in and rescue him. Besides, we are always be- 

 wildered in the dark. 



