The daily Alaskan., 1914-03-25
HELD BY DABOONS
.k Rash Adventure Wherein the
 Hunter Was Hunted.
CLIMAX OF A CURIOUS BATTLE

the Jabberins 5rutes, Resolved itself ! Into a Living Avalanche That Swept
 Down the HiII--A Lucky Escape.
 When I was in South Africa, a core spondent writes. l left Mangwe one afternoon in company with couple of men who were travelling up country. We rode at a slow canter through the long grass, for grass grows long in Af- rica. over your head very often. None of us carried a gun or even revolver. All we had were sjamboks, whips made Of single strip of hippopotamus hide ana stout enough to maim a man if rhe blow were well directed.
 We were about a mile below the only pass in the south of the Matoppo hills that leads through to Bulawayo. Sud denly We saw that the grass on our left was being disturbed over pretty wide ares. and out of curiosity we rode over. We found out that the grass was simply alive with hundreds of ba- boo.s marching toward the bill. There were brown baboOns and gray babOVns and balloons almost black, lit tie balloons, big baboOnS, mamma ba- boonS. pickaninny babOons and old gramddads almost white with age. We refined in our horses and watched. They showed no fear and no desire to get acquainted with Us. They looked at Us over their shoulders, the man. mas hugged their babies tighter, and they quickened their pace.
 Ne ought 10 have let them pass, but one uf the fellows suggested in spirit Ut mischief that We should help them along Before you could say knife the three of Us were in among them and began to slash with our sjambOks in all directions. The balloons jab- bered and showed their teeth. but ney- er attempted 10 attack us We were safe 50 long as we were mounted. Pretty soon they came to a clump ot trees. which they tried to climb. But the trees were thOruy and they bad to give it up. Then they started foI the hills again.
 We drove them right to the foot of the hills, but there we had to stop, foI We could not tuke our horses over the rocks. The baboons swarmed up like aerobats. didn't stop to think, but was or my horse and after them. My friends called to me to stay where was, but | was mp that hlll almost as quickly as the balloons were.
 A black old man babUOn was near. est and made a rush for him. He didn't run. cut at him with the wuip. He only barred his teeth and snared. 1 looked round. On every side were big men baOoons, and each bared bis teeth as I caught his eye. They had no intention to run away from ne or to let me get away from them.
 lost my nerve and couldn't even think of e way out. All l could do was to back up to rock, keep the balloons at bay with my sjambok and wait there until my companions could come to my rescue. Before I'd gone two steps stones began to fly stones of ho small size either. Luck fly a bQ5oOn is not good marksman. He makes jump as he throws. Those balloons hit one another as often as they hit me.
 Very slowly backed for tie rock; verv slowly the baboons followed They were waiting for something That gave me hope. If they didn't mean to rush me, why not back down the hill until my companions could reach me?
 So 1 changed my direction and, amid the fuSAlade Of stones, approached the brink Gi tue decliyity. 1 reached it at last and began carefully to back down. The stones felI thicker than eyer In protection 1 had to hold my arms over my head. All the time there was q hldeouS jdbbering and screaming
 Presently was virtually underneath some of them. The old black fellow who had first faced me picked up rock as big g; himself and dropped 1t. 1 lodged stumbled over a rock behind me and fell.
 Then knew what they were wait ing for. A score of them were on me in a moment. They tore and bit me fercely. If there had not been so many they would have got me at once, but they got in each others way and damaged themselves as much as they did me.
 I tried to keep their nails away from my eyes and face and throat and to- gether we rolled over and over and down the dope of the hill. l was scratched and bleeding in a dozen places md my clothes were torn to shredS. but somehow 1 was not bitten very badly. Perhaps the pace was too great for any accurate work!
 So We bumped and rolled dOwnhill- first on rop, then the baboonS on top. then at last a rolling ball of baboons with me inside. 1 was too scared even te think of death, although if I had been alone death was certain. All at once heard the sound of hoOfs that scra nblpd over the rocks, shouts in the