THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 67 



HE DESERVED THE VICTORIA CROSS 



I am the mother of a Httle baboon girl who has been 

 carried into captivity by a farmer-man. It nearly broke 

 my heart to lose my child. My friends have consoled me 

 much by telHng me that the humanfolk treat us very kindly 

 when they keep us in captivity. I hope and pray that 

 whoever may have my little girl are kindly folk, for I 

 couldn't bear to think that she was being half-starved, 

 teased, and otherwise ill-treated. 



One fine sunshiny morning I went wdth my clan to a 

 mealie field. The mealies were nearly ripe, and in just the 

 condition we like best for eating. We swept the landscape 

 in all directions with our keen eyes, but saw nothing to 

 arouse suspicion. Posting a trusty sentry, we cautiously 

 entered the field, and were busy eating mealies and collect- 

 ing others to carry away to our homes, when the warning 

 signal of our sentry rang out, repeated again and again, to 

 warn us the danger was great, and that we must not delay 

 a single second. We instantly made off towards the nearest 

 patch of dense thorny bush. Thinking my little girl was 

 with the rest of us as we ran for cover, I raced along until 

 I had reached the thicket. Glancing back I saw a farmer- 

 man ride round the corner of the patch of bush, but he 

 was too late to cut us off. 



Just at that instant shrill cries of terror reached our 

 ears from the meaHe field. My blood grew cold and 

 seemed to freeze in my veins, for the cries were those of my 

 child. I turned to rush back to her rescue, but was in- 

 stantly seized by our brave leader, who, with a hasty 

 command to the others to prevent me following, dashed 

 across the open space straight for my dear little one, who 

 was running to and fro, screaming piteously. The farmer- 

 man could easily have shot our leader whilst he was racing 



