The Dickinson press., 1890-04-19

a ride, meaning to get back home by
midday, for my father is i'll, and do not
like to leave him for long. But just as
was going to turn, when we were about
where we are now-yes, this was the
very bush-an oribe got up. and the dogs
chased it. followed them for the gal
lop, and when we came to the river, in
stead of turning to the left as bucks gen.
orally do, the oribe swan the stream and
took to the bad lands beyond. followed
it, and within a hundred yards of the
big tree the dogs killed it. Hendrika
wanted me to turn back at once, but
said that we would rest under tho shade
Of the tree, for knew that there was
spring of water near. Well, we went; and
there saw you all lying like dead; but
Hendrika, who is very clever in some
ways, said no-and you know the rest.
Yes, it is very wonderful"
"It is, indeed" said. "Now tell me,
Miss Stella, who is Hendrika?"
She looked round before answering to
see that the woman was not near.
"Hers is strange story, Mr.. Allan.
will tell you. You must know that all
these mountains and the country beyond
are full of balloons. When was a girl
of about 10 l used to wander about
good deal alone in the hills and valleys.
and watch the balloons Us they played
among the rocks. There was one fami-
ly of balloons that watched especially
they used to live in klaaf about q mile
from the house. The old man baboon
was very large, and one of the females
had gray face. But the reason why l
watched them so much was because l
saw that they had with them creature
that looked like girl, for her skin was
quite white, and, what was more, that
she was protected from the weather
when it happened to be cold by fur
belt of some sort. which she tied round
her throat. The old balloons seemed to
be especially fond of her, and would sit
with their arms round her neck.
"For nearly whole summer watched
this particular white-skinned baboon,
till at last my curiosity quite overmas-
tered me. l noticed that, though she
climbed about the cliffs with the other
monkeys, at certain hour a little before
sundown they used to put her, with one
or two other much smaller ones, into a
little cave, while the family went off
somewhere to get food-to the mealie
fields, suppose. Then got an idea
that would catch this white baboon
and bring it home. But of course
could not do this by myself, so took a
Hottentot-a very clever man when he
was not drunk-who lived on the stead,
into my confidence. He was called Hen
dirk, and was very fond of ME; but for
long while he would not listen to my
plan, because he said that the babyans
would kill us. At last I bribed him with
knife that had four blades, and one
afternoon we started, Hendrix carry
ing stout sack made of hide, with a
rope running through it SO that the
mouth could be drawn tight.
"Well, we got to the place, and, hid
ing ourselves carefully in the trees at the
foot of the kloof, watched the balloons
playing aboutand grunting to each other,
till at length, according to custom, they
took the white one and three other little
babies and put them in the cave. Then
the old man came out, looked carefully
round, called to his family, and went off
with them over the brow of the kloof.
Now very slowly and cautiously we crept
up over the rocks till we came to the
mouth of the cave and looked in. All
the four little balloons were fast asleep,
with their backs toward us, and their
arms around each others necks, the
white one being in the middle. Nothing
could have been better for our plans
Hendrix, who by this time had quite en-
tered into the spirit of the thing, crept
into the cave like snake, and suddenly
dropped the mouth of the hide bag over
the head of the white baboon. The poor
little thing woke up and gave violent
jump, which caused it to vanish right
into the bag. Then Hendrix pulled the
string tight, and together we knotted it
SO that it was impossible for our captive
to escape. Meanwhile the other baby
balloons had rushed from the cave
screaming, and when we got outside
they were nowhere to be seen.
"'Come on, MISS said Hendrix; the
babyan will soon be back He had
shouldered the sack, inside which the
white baboon was kicking violently, and
screaming like child. 1t was dreadful
to hear its shrieks.
1--WE scrambled down the sides of the
kloof and ran for home as fast as we
could manage When we were near the
waterfall, and within about 300 yards of
the garden wall, we heard a voice be-
hind us, and there, leaping from rock to
rock, and running over the grass, was
the whole family of baboons headed by
the old man.
"'Run, miss, run! gasped Hendrix,
and did like the wind, leaving him far
behind. dashed into the garden, where
some Kaffirs were working, crying, The
babyans! the babyans!' Luckily the men
had their sticks and spears by them and
ran out just in time to save Hendrix,
who was almost overtaken. The baboons
made good fight for it, however, and it
was not till the old man was killed with
an assegai that they ran away.
"Well, there is little hut in the kraal
at the stead where my father sometimes
shuts up natives who have misbehaved.
1t is very strong, and has barred win
dow. To this hut Hendrix carried the
sack, and, having united the mouth, put
it down on the floor, and ran from the
place, shutting the door behind him. In
another moment the poor little thing
was out and dashing round the stone hut
as though it were mad. 1tsprung at the
bars of the window, clung there, and
beat its head against them till the blood
came. Then it fell to the floor, and sat
there crying like child, and rocking it.
self backwards and forwards. It was so
sad to see it that began to cry too.
"Just then my father came in and
asked what all the fuss was about. ]
told him that we had caught young
white baboon, and he was angry, and
said that it must be let go. But when lie
looked at it through the bars of the win.
dow lie nearly fell down with astonish.