carcely
attempted to defend himself, just as though he knew he deserved to be
punished. I can tell you a strange story about these baboons.

"There came into our neighbourhood a leopard, and he lived well for some
time, till we hunted him, and he had to keep to the bush. Now it turned
out that the leopard killed a baboon, and ate him. The baboons feared
to attack the leopard, as he would be too much for them, but they had
decided on revenging themselves on him. They therefore followed him
about, but at a cautious distance. After a time the leopard wanted to
drink, but no sooner did he go to the water than the baboons came around
threatening him, and they were so active that the leopard could not
attack them successfully. The leopard started off to leave the country,
but the baboons followed, barking and screaming after him. For three
days the baboons followed him, and would neither let him eat nor drink,
when the leopard became quite weak from thirst and want of food. There
were so many baboons, too, that they never let the leopard rest, and
thus he was worn out As soon as the baboons found he was weak, they
assembled around him, and attacked him in earnest, and killed him in a
few minutes. I had missed the baboons from my krantzes [steep ravines],
and I heard from the neighbours that they had seen baboons following and
worrying a leopard, and at last the baboons were heard worrying
something, and this turned out to be the leopard, which was found dead
and fearfully mangled."

"I have heard that same thing before," said Bernhard, "and I know the
baboons are capable of it; they are very wise."

"Yes," said Hans, "they are useful too; for whatever a baboon eats, a
man may venture to eat also. This is the case with monkeys, too. A man
ought never to starve, if he lives near where monkeys are; for you can
watch what fruit or sorts a monkey eats, and that will show you what you
may venture upon. You have been down at the bay for some time, Hofman,"
continued Hans; "can you tell us any thing about the large snakes that
are there?"

"Yes, I can. There are very large snakes there, but these large snakes
are not poisonous. They live in the long grass near rocks or old trees,
and feed on birds, small buck, and such things. They will not attack
you, I believe; but they could kill a man, as one I shot there had
killed and eaten a calf. It was about twenty-five feet long, and two
men could not lift it. There are