The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-05
JACK0.
a Baboon,s B,oCraphr.

Lieutenant Colonel Tousel in Knowledge1
Many years ago, when stationed at an out
post on the Great Fish River, in the eastern
frontier of South Africa, was presented by
the officer l relieved with young baboon, |
which, when captured, was so young that it |
had 70 De brought up by band
From the first took great deal of notice |
of 1t, and il became very much attached to
me- 1t made great progress, and grew mp a |
healthy, strong animal.
Jackos pole was always erected close to
my quarters, and could watch his proceed.
ings from my window unknown to him, and
they were always most amusing. 1t was
the custom in barracks for the pioneers to
go round and sweep up the barrack square.
One morning L saw man, with a wheelbar
row full of straw and other rubbish, sweep
ings of the square. put down his barrow near
Jacko's pole while he was sweeping in the
immediate Deighborhood- JACKIE was seated
upon his high perch, apparently taking no
notice of what was going on. Presently /
saw the pioneer disappear 10 sweep round a
corner. Jacko was down like tightening,
capsized the barrow, and with his long and
powerful arms scattered the contents in
every direction, and when the pioneer APP
peared. was up on his perch again with won
derful celebrity, looking in quite a different
direction, with a face of the most ludicrous
innocence.
One morning, from my lookout window,
seeing Jacko come down from his perch
very oemurely 10 the ground, and slacken
his chain, and then lie down, as if inno-
Gently basking in the sun, felt fully aware
that mischief was brewing. Presently l saw
fat little puppy appear on the scene, and
Master Jacko's seepy-looking eye fixed
upon it mos: intently. When the puppy
had strayed within reach. JackO's chain was
quietly tightened, and with his hind leg he
seized it; and Immediately clasping il in his
arms, he clamDered with 1t to the top of his
high perch. For short time the puppy
| just as woman would nurse a
osby; then he began a care
full search for heas, with which the poor
| little thing was tormented. All at once a
bright idea seemed to strike him for. grasp
ing the puppy by the tail, and holding it out
at arms length. and looking with an ex-
| preston of most innocent occurrences in
the opposite direction, he quietly opened
his hand and down fell the poor little ami
NAL with ''thud" TO the ground. ran out
TO succor the poor little brute, and scolded
Jacko vigorously for his cruelty, which,
however. was perfectly useless, for he in
stantly assumed a preoccupied air, and was
apparently intensely interested in some i'm
aginary object in the distance.
TWAS perfectly useless to provide him
with any place of refuge or shelter, us his
energies were at once at work to destroy 1t,
in which he succeeded uncommonly we'll
: so at night sack was suspended from the
top of his pole, into which he nestled him
! self with great comfort; and it is a singular
/ fact, that at light 1 could get up to his pole
: and touch his sack, and he never attempted
: to move, but would give me an affectioSatC
grunt of glad welcome, but if any other in
dividual approached within yard of hi:
pole, Jacko was out Of his nest in an instant
screaming and preparing for battle.
On cold, wet, rainy night used often tC
. take him bowl full of hot coffee, anC
: knowing there was sugar at the bottom O
the bowl, he could not resist the Temptation
8 of plunglng his hand into it TO search for thu
sugar although the coffee was so hot that HI
I was obliged to cry out with the pain.
' Had not witnessed what 1 am about t.
! relate, could not have believed it. L hav
stood within thirty yards of his pole witt
q my bow and arrow, and taking deliberat
Y aim. have launched an arrow at him Jak
' would undoubtedly catch the arrow
in his hand, holding EliI Ia il unit
h he always gave it up readily. But it is mos
s remarkable that il any other person took tn
3 bow and fired at him, Jacko, Oh catching tn
q arrow, always broke it in pieces. L need no
a say that on these occasions L invariably CAV
v my worst arrows to my friends.
v He would catch anything that was thrown
az lHNColiSdblDS Tic lldtuA
Z of the article he had caught. He was YER
a partial to eggs, whether boiled or raw, ant
n it was most amusing to see him tossing no
Is egg from hand to hand, screaming the while
l. but never letting it go.
d He was fond of his grog weak wine ant
e water, which was given TO him Occasionall
J. in bottle, tightly corked, and it was one Q
q the pet amusements 10 see him pick out tn
n cork bit by bit, with his very strong mai
e But to show how perfectly well he under
n stood the use of the cork, when he hat
n picked away as much as he could reach wit
n his fingers and still found himself unable :
!. get at the contents. he would take up tn
bottle and crack the neck OFF against hi
r pole.
r To give one instance OF Jacl1o's deept cur
ming, my company was on the line of marc
! to an outpost. Nv wife and were riding
d few hundred yards in rear OF the men, J ackC
as usual, loose and following up like dog
MI We observed Fingoe sitting on an an
"a heap q bout thirty yards from the roadside
d with ms vile standing within few feet c
: him, .holding III her hands a fine cob of In
. dian corn. All at once we saw Jacko wal
% up to the Fingoeand make friends with hiT
y Ia most unusual thing, as he never took I
/" the natives land even sittingon the Fingoe
'. knee. Then we saw him max
q a spring. and in the jun
a seize the Indian corn, and runnin
for his life, he caught hold of my stirru
d and was on the pommel of my saddle lik
- lightning The FingOe was much enrageC
II and threw his ''knobkerie" at him, so pac
~ fled the man, much to his delight, by giyin
him a bit of tobacco.
n have already said that the soldiers wer
n very fond of JACKIE, and in the evening e
10 pecially they would surround his pol,
playing with him; but if he suddenly caugh
II sight of me coming into the barrack squar.
d he would Immediately go round the circle
i biting every one of the men, dash up on hi
II perch, and scream frantically. as if trying {
|: persuade me that he was the injured part
/" appealing TO my protection.
d Although brought up by hand, his il
d tuitive perception of danger and recognize
/ of his enemies were remarkable. If l wishe
to keep him up on his pole had only {
a coil a dead snake at the bottom of it, and n
b dainty would induce him to come down
j. and when 1 was absent from my post an
y the alarm cry of "Jacko is loose" sounded
II my wife bad only to put leopard's skin
re with the head stuffed in the doorway an
le the quarters were perfectly safe from Maste
N Jacko's intrusion.