The morning call., 1892-01-02
FOUGHT A BAB00N.

Desperate Battle far Life With IRE
mendous Brute.
l was walking through my lands and had
my gun with me. and the balloons were
screaming on the top Of the rocky precipice
that overhaDgs my homestead. The dogs
in the farmyard, on hearing the noise the
balloons were making. rushed up to
the mountain, and were soon engaged
with them in deadly fight. l 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
krantZ, number of balloons fed. fired
and wounded one in the shoulder; ha was
Immediately pursued and tackled by the
only dog left, the others having been torn
to pieces. The struggle for life or death
was taking place between the wounded
babOOn and the dog on the very brink of a
precpice. ! had not another cartridge for
my gun, so put 1t down aud picked up a
couple OF large stones and walked to
within few yards of the spot
| was then inst in the very act of
hurting one OF them at the bab0On, when
suddenly tremendous male baboon, the
largest | have seen, came straight at me in
a bold and defiant manner, his eyes gleam-
ing with anger and rage, and his huge jaws
working together as II in anticipation of the
cruGching that was in store for me. | Just
had time tn hurl the stone, In my appraised
hand, at him, when he was upon me. He
seized me by the leg first. and bit me with
such violence that | thought every bone in
my leg was smashed to atoms. | kicked
with all my might, tried to get hold of a
stone, 1 attempted te SEIZE him by the throat
dealt him several blows with the fist, but it
was all useless; the strength of this en-
ragged African mandrlll overpOwered and
mastered ME completely. After he had fin
ished with my leg lie 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 / doP Every now and
then he let go hold of my breast
and snapped at my throat. l seized
him by the throat with my right hand and
clenched my fingers. but he would not yield
his grasp for single moment. Every time
j moved he dragged me nearer to the edge
Of the precipice, and we were now within
three feet of the brink aid the ground
sloping down to it; | knew that if | for q
moment lost ms footing, down we should 90
into the chasm below. The wounded
baboon 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 babnOn showed no signs of re-
leasing me. / felt / should not be able to
hold out much longer, as l am an old man.
considerably over so. AT this stage | be-
thought myself of a penknfe | had in my
.waistcOat pocket. III | 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. L got it to my mouth and held
1t there till had an opportunity of opening
it with my left hand. l 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 savage still. By this
time | had scarcely a vestige Of clothing
left, and my lacerated body bore tokens of
what 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 of the dogs that had
been wounded In the fight, and which had
recovered sufficiently to make his way to
where we were. seized the animal from be-
hind. felt the animal wished to get at
the dog. He threw himself from me upon
the dog; they had one rough and-tumble,
ana then the bab0on walked sullenly away
along the ridge of the precipice, looking
back from time TO time as If undecided
whether he should renew the attack. 1t
was some time before | could recover su fiji
cient sire myth to descend the mountain.
got home, however, and the dog too, after
an encounter such as / shall never forget,
and the like OF which / hope never to expe-
rience again.-The Graff- Reinet Advertiser.