Woodville Republican., 1889-05-11
!. .Aa oanp. and rLIl ramonD9r .I.a. J

a. the camp. and will remember that
am awayF
"The baboons, great, powerful, hairy |
fellows, now redoubled their htdeous
noises, jumping about their allotted
stations in the greatest excitement II
really appeared as II. with brlstling
eyebrows and angry distending mouths,
they were making the most scornful al
lusions to the king Of beasts before
them.
THE lion stood there, angry, bafied
and perplexed, lashing the ground with
his tail; then he began to run, in quick
strides backward and forward. Every
time he put his head down the noise ol
tho baboons increased When he stood
still, and throwing his head back,
gazed at them, their ordinations died
away but they became, II possible more
alert and watchful than ever.
''The baboons seemed to gather clos
er together. still keeping Nieland In
the middle of the circle they had formed
round him. The lion retreated again,
and roared; and some of the foremost
balloons descended with redoubled
noises, to the lower ground, while 9TH
ers filled their places.
''The lion backed still further away,
till he had reached a respectable dis
tance; here he staid, and, looking round,
put his nose to the ground, and sent
forth mighty roar that reverberated
along the echoing ground. After this,
turning for the last time, he trotted of.
to the heartfelt relief of Nieland, who
was imprisoned now no longer, for, as
the mighty beast disappeared the ba-
boons broke up their protective circle,
ranged themselves in groups and ex-
tended line and commenced digging for
the roots and earth-nuts. an occupation
that they had probably been engaged
upon before the Dutchman appeared
upon the scene.
"Nieland clambered round the hill
side to the spot he had originally left,
from which he could not only see the
camp, but also that we were already
coming in search Of him.
1.-The oxen came in half an hour
after you started, said /, from the OPP
posite direction; then l heard what
sounded like roaring. After that
here paused, for could see, through
the sunburn on his skin, that he was
ghastly white. Luckily. Amatonga
one OF the Kafiir boys, was carrying a
cantecn newly filed; so gave N leland
long, refreshing draught OF water.
God be praisedr exc, aimed the Dutch
man, and pressed my hand. I'll tell
you later
1--WE hurried back into camp, for the
short African twilight was fast deepen
ing into night. Round the campfire
that evening Nieland told me the story
OF his adventure and his deliverance as
l have set it down here. After the re-
eital was over. the Katfirs being
warned, our guns were carefully load
ed and other precautions were taken.
We two men spent long time, wrap
ped in our 'karosses,' by blazing fire
discussing the curious problem OF Nei-
lands deliverance Whether the ba-
boons were more frightened at the lion
than at the man, and so associated
themselves with the man for protec-
tion, or whether they, by some subtle
instinct had recognized the mans fear,
and had come to his assistance-wh
seemed the more likely explanation
and both tho human being and the
brutes, with a knowledge Of each
Others terror. formed a tacit mutual
protection society against a common
enemy, there seemed to be an alliance
that ended as soon as the danger was
past My friend was inclined to be-
lieve in this latter theory; and pointed
out that the balloons opened path fol
him in their circle. and witnessed his
departure with the greatest tranquili
ty. But, whatever the cause may have
been, Nieland was mutually thankful
and never afterwards, when we were
shooting along the banks OF the Moddel
river, would he kill any OF his friends
the balloons" - Illustrated LondoI
News