to their feet. The females and little ones scampered off. The
males, with angry gestures, rushed upon their assailants, barking,
showing their teeth, and making menacing gestures. Mr. Goodenough fired
again, and Frank now, seeing that they were likely to be attacked, also
opened fire. Six of the baboons were killed before the others abstained
from the attack and went screaming after the females. The dead baboons
were brought down, skinned, and two were at once roasted, the others
hung up to trees. It required a great effort on Frank's part to overcome
his repugnance to tasting these creatures, but, when he did so, he
admitted that the meat was excellent.

That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the men. Seizing
their rifles they ran out.

"There are two leopards, sar," Ostik said; "they have smelt the
monkeys."

The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up a great
fire till morning.

"We must get the skins if we can," Mr. Goodenough said. "The skins of
the equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both they will make
a fine group for you to stuff when you get back, Frank."

"Are you thinking of following their trail?" Frank asked.

"That would be useless," Mr. Goodenough answered. "In soft swampy ground
we might do so, but up here it would be out of the question. We must set
a bait for them tonight, but be careful while you are out today. They
have probably not gone far from the camp, and they are very formidable
beasts. They not unfrequently attack and kill the natives."

The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the leopards, and none
would leave the camp during the day. Two of the Houssas were left on
guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure that the animals would
not attempt to carry off any meat in the daylight, and two Houssas
accompanied each of the travelers while out in search of butterflies.

Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall a portion
of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as to swing within
four feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a hundred yards from the
camp. Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their seats in another tree a short
distance off. The night was fine and the stars clear and bright. The
tree on which the meat hung stood somewhat alone, so that sufficient
light penetrated from above to enable any creatures approaching the
bait to be seen. Instead of his little Winchester, Frank had one of the
Sniders