Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-03-04
A FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE.
AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A
MAN AND BABOON.
Struggling for One Hour ON tho Brink of
Precipice-Just as the Man L.
About to Give Up, Dog
Comes to His Rescue.

] was walking through my lands
and had my gun with me. and the
balloons were screaming on the top of
the rocky precipice that overhangs my
homestead. The dogs in the Iarm
yard. on hearing the noise the balloons
were making. rushed up to the noun
tain. and were soon engaged with
them in deadly fight / took up my
gun and climbed up the mountain for
the purpose OF assisting the dogs and
in the hope OF saving them from being
torn to pieces. When | reached the
summit OF the kratuz n number OF
balloons fed. / fired and wounded
one in the shoulder; he was immedi-
ately pursued and tackled by the only
dog left the others having been torn
to pieces. The struggle for lie or
death was taking place between the
wounded baboon and the dog on the
very brink OF a precipico
i had not another cartridge for my
gun. says a writer in the Graft Remet
Advertiser. so l put it down and
picked up couple OF large stones and
walked To within few yards OF the
i
one OF them at the baboon when. sud
denly. tremendous male baboon, the
largest | have seen, came straight at
me in a bold and defiant manner his
eyes cleaning with anger and rage,
and his huge jaws working together
as il in anticipation of the crunching
that was in store for me. | Just had
time TO hurl the stone. in my now up.
raised hand. at him when he was
upon me. He seized me by the leg
first and bit me with such violence
that thought that every bone in my
leg was smashed to atoms. | kicked
with all my might, l tried to get hold
OF stone ] attempted 10 seize him
by the throat dealt him several blows
with the fist but it was all useless; the
strength of the epraged African man.
drill overpowercd and mastered me
completely
After he had finished with my leg
he raised himself on his hind legs
put his arm around me and seized hold
Of me on the chest with his powerful
jaws. What could do? Every now
and then he let go his hold of nv
breast and snapped Mt my throat |
seized him by the throat with my right
hand and clenched my fingers. but he
would not yield his grasp for single
instant Every time | moved he
dragged me nearer to the edge OF tho
precipice, and we were now within
three feet of the brink and the ground
sloping down to il. | knew that if
for moment lost my foothold. down
we should go into the chasm below.
The wounded babooI and the dog.
that were responsible for the awful
predicament in which | now found
myself. had just rolled over into the
abyss We had been at it nearly an
hour and as the baboon showed no
signs Of releasing me, | felt | should
not DC able TO hold out much longer.
rs | am an old man, considerably
over CO.
At this stage | bethought myself OF
pen knife | had in my waistcoat
pocket II | could only get it out |
might ward him off by stabbing him
in the face. ] gradually got my left
hand into my pocket and got the knife
out the brute scratching and tearing
my face with his hands all the while.
| got it to my mouth and held il there
till had an opportunity OF opening it
with my left hand | then began stab
bling and prodding him. but the knife
was not large enough to do him much
damage ! drew blood, however. the
sight OF which only made him more
vicious still. BY this time / had
scarcely vestige OF clothing left and
my lacerated body bore tokens of
what n South African baboon can do
when he chooses to tackle and fight an
unarmed man.
was wondering how all this was
going TO end, when one o. the dogs
that had been wounded In the fight
and hal recovered sufficiently to make
his way to where we were seized the
animal from behind ! felt the brute
wished TO get at the dog. He threw
himself from me upon the dog; they
had one rough-and tumble and then
the baboon walked su ldenly away
along the ridge OF the precipice look
ing back from time to- time. as il I'M
decided whether he should renew the
attack 1t was some time before |
could recover sufficient strength to
descend the mountain. | got home
however and the dog, too
after an encounter such rs /
shall never forget and the like OF
which l hope never to experience
again.