148 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



laughed merrily, as we jumped, hopped, and swung from 

 bough to bough. Yes, right enough, there was a pile of 

 delicious mealies, as usual, and some ripe fruit too. Crowd- 

 ing forward we began to pick up the food as fast as we 

 could, when there was a sudden bang like a door slamming 

 violently. 



There's no need to waste time going into details. That 

 noise was made by a large iron-barred door falling. When 

 we recovered from our fright we found that we were 

 enclosed in a cleverly-constructed trap, which had been 

 ingeniously concealed. In our eagerness to seize the 

 mealies, we had set off the spring and were prisoners. 



We tore and struggled and shook, and viciously bit 

 the bars until we were exhausted ; so we huddled together 

 for sympathy and gave ourselves up for lost. 



During the afternoon we saw the farmer-man and two 

 Kafirs approaching. We renewed our efforts to escape, but 

 the cage was strongly made. Instead of killing us as we 

 fully expected, the Kafirs cut down a straight branch, made 

 it into a pole, and tying the cage to it they marched off 

 with us. 



There were a good many of us. I don't know just how 

 many, because I never learned to count. 



Well, anyway, we were sold into slavery. I was put in a 

 box with another mother monkey, who had twins about a 

 month old. I only had one baby, who was about a month 

 old. It was a dear, lovable little thing, and oh ! how I 

 loved it. My one dread all along since my capture was 

 that the humanfolk might take my baby away from me. 

 The poor little dear, he was too young to know or realise 

 the dangerous plight his mother was in. He clung all the 

 time to my breast, peering out with his little innocent eyes 

 every now and then, and diving his tiny pink face amongst 

 my fur, when he heard any strange noise, or saw any of the 

 humanfolk. 



