56 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



No, these farmers didn't go away. But they went for 

 us, and the consequences are we have been banished to 

 the barren wilderness, and can only return to our old home 

 as outlaws, liable to be shot at any moment. 



I am told the baboonfolk all over South Africa couldn't 

 resist tasting of the forbidden fruit of the farmers' gardens, 

 and the hand of the humanfolk is now against all our clan. 

 Many of us have learned to keep right away from the 

 habitations of man, where we are free from temptation. 

 I must say the farmerfolk don't persecute us unless we 

 trouble them ; but when we do, there's always trouble. 

 I remember long ago, the Field Cornet ordered out a 

 commando of farmers, and they organised an attack upon 

 us in our rocky homes. They only managed to kill a few 

 of us, because we had a secret path among the rocky hills 

 and krantzes along which we escaped. 



A MOTOR-CAR INCIDENT 



One day about fifty of us were gathering ants on a road, 

 which the humanfolk had cut out of the side of a bush- 

 covered hill. Our sentinel was perched up on top of an 

 aloe — the kind you get the juice from which you make into 

 pills. Without the least warning, a great thing which you 

 call a motor-car dashed right amongst us. Just as it was 

 upon us, our sentry's loud cry of alarm rang out. None 

 of us had heard the thing coming, because the wind was" 

 blowing strongly in the direction it was approaching. We 

 had never seen one of these puffing, snorting things before, 

 and our terror was extreme. There were two women and 

 two men in the car, and when in our fright several of us 

 leapt upon the car to save ourselves from being crushed 

 to death, there was a real sensation. The men shouted 

 hoarsely and the women screamed like steam whistles. It 

 was all over in a few moments, for we don't lose our presence 



