48 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



chuckled and prided ourselves on our cleverness. We 

 began to think after all the humanfolk weren't so very- 

 clever. 



A PLOT THAT FAILED 



All the same, we did not relax our vigilance. We keenly 

 watched those humanfolk. We knew the old Boer would 

 hatch out some plot against us for upsetting his household 

 arrangements, but we couldn't think of anything which 

 he could do. He couldn't get friends to assist him to 

 assault us in our home, because he would have required 

 at least a hundred men to have surrounded us. 



One fine morning, from our rocky ledges, we saw two 

 horses being led up to the stoep. Presently the Boer farmer 

 and one of his sons came out, mounted and rode away. We 

 watched them disappear over a distant hill. Our inex- 

 perienced young folk were wild with delight, and talked 

 and jabbered about the good time they were going to have 

 in the orchard, and speculated whether the old Vrouw would 

 be making jam that day. If so, they would wait till it was 

 well under weigh before frightening her off and securing it. 



But in the midst of the excitement, up clamoured our 

 old chief, followed by many wise councillors. We were 

 all impatient to hear what he was going to say. We ex- 

 pected him to tell us to be patient for a time, and to keep 

 quite silent to deceive the old Vrouw into thinking we were 

 not in the neighbourhood. 



But no. He slowly rose, and resting his hand upon a 

 jutting rock, told us how a deep and deadly plot had been 

 laid. " You see," said he, " you young folk are very simple 

 — ^you cannot count. But I can, and so can some of the 

 other wise men of our clan. We can count up to three. 

 Only two people left the homestead and rode away. It is 

 therefore quite clear there must be one left behind. See, 



