THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 69 



wrong. We only fight for our lives. We have more sense 

 than you think. We know full well that it would be 

 madness to try to withstand an attack made by humanfolk 

 armed with guns when we only have our teeth as weapons. 

 We know quite well the degree of our strength, and the 

 razor-like sharpness of our big eye teeth, and who can 

 blame us if, when your dogs pursue us intent upon destroying 

 us or our children, that we turn upon them and kill them. 

 Dogs, somehow, seem to lose all discretion when they 

 pursue our folk. They simply lose their heads, and rush 

 headlong after us. We watch our opportunity, and when 

 we see one away in advance of the rest, our chief just 

 drops somewhat behind, and as the dog rushes madly along, 

 he grips him, and with hands and feet holds him fast until 

 he fixes his huge teeth in the dog's throat. Then with a 

 mighty tug, the miserable victim is thrust away and the 

 sharp teeth cut their way out through muscle, windpipe, 

 and jugular vein. There is a torrent of blood and the 

 dog is dead. At other times the victim's loins are torn 

 open. The wounds, I know, are ghastly in the extreme. 

 We realise that it is a fight to the death, and that either 

 the dog must die, or else our folk, so we bite to kill. You 

 humanfolk should think yourselves lucky we don't attack 

 you, for we have chances every day, when you are unarmed ; 

 but we never trouble you in this way, although any one of 

 our leaders could easily kill one of your strongest men in 

 combat, if both were unarmed. I would warn you never 

 to be too daring when attacking us, for, if any of our 

 warriors are cornered or wounded, and if you are so foolish 

 as to approach, then you will as likely as not have your 

 throats torn out and perish miserably. It seems a cruel 

 world this of ours. It is so ordained that in order that 

 some may live, others must die. It is so from the highest 

 to the lowest. Humanfolk quarrel, and the various clans, 

 which you call nations, fight and kill tens of thousands of 



