The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-02-17
HELD BY BABOONs
A Rash Adventure Wherein the
Hunter Was Hunted.
CLIMAX OF A CURIOUS BATTLE
The Conflict, Which Was Forced Upon
the Jabbering 5rutes, Resolved itself
Into a Living Avalanche That Swept
Down the Hiil--A Lucky Escape.


Down the Hiil--A Lucky Escape.
When was in South Africa, corre-
spondent writes. left Mangwe one
afternoon in company with couple of
men who were travelling up country.
We rode at slow canter through the
long grass, for grass grows long in Az
rica, over your head very often. None
Of us carried gun or even a revolver.
All we had were sjamboks. whips
made of single strip of hippOpotamus
hide and stout enough to MAIN man
if the blow were we'll directed.
We were about mile below the only
pass in the south of the Matoppo hills
that leads through to Buiawayo. Sud-
denly we saw that the grass on our
left was being disturbed over a pretty
wide area, and out of curiosity we rode
over. We found out that the grass
was simply alive with hundreds of ba-
boons marching toward the hill.
There were brown balloons and gray
baboons and balloons almost black, lit
tie balloons, big balloons, mamma ba-
boons, pickaninny babOons and old
granddads almost white with age. We
reined 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 quicl1ened their pace.
We ought to have let them pass, but
one of the fellows suggested in spirit
| of 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 baboons jab-
bered and showed their teeth, but new
er attempted to attack us. We were
| safe so long as we were mounted.
| Pretty soon they came to a clump of
trees, which they tried to climb. But
the trees were thorny and they had
| to give it up. Then they started for
the hills again.
| We drove them right to the foot Of
the hills but there we had to stop. for
we could not take our horses over the
rocks. The balloons swarmed up like
acrobats. didn't stop to think, but
was off my horse and after them. My
| friends called to me to stay where l
was, but l was up that hill almost
as quickly as the balloons were.
hiack old man baboOn was near
est. and made rush for him. lie
didn't run. l cut at him with the
whip, He only barred his teeth and
snarled. looked round. On every
| side were big men baboons, and each
barred his teeth as | caught his eye.
They had no intention to run away
from me or to let me get away from
them.
] lost my nerve and couldn't even
think of a way out. Ali could do
was to back up to n rock, keep the
baboons at bay with my siambok
and walt there until my companions
could come TO my rescue. Before I'd
gone two steps stones began to fly.
stones of no small size, either Luck
lily babOon Is not good marksman.
He makes Il jump as he throws. Those
baboons hit one another as often as
they hit me.
Very slowly 1 backed for the rock;
very slowly the balloons 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 | changed my direction and, amid
the fusillade of stones, approached the
brink of the declivity. l reached it at
last and began carefully to back down.
The stones fell thicker than ever. In
protection l had to hold my arms
over my head. All the time there was
hideous iabbering and screaming
Presently | was virtually underneath
some of them. The old black fellow
who had first faced me picked up a
rock as big as himself and dropped 1t.
me and fell.
Then / knew what they were wait
ing for A score of them were on me
in moment They tore and bit me
fiercely. 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.
tried to keep their nails away from
my eyes and face and throat. and to-
gether we rolled over and over and
down the slope of the hill | was
scratched and bleeding In dozen
places and my clothes We're torn to
shreds, but somehow was not bitten
} very badly. Perhaps the pace was too
great for any accurate work.
So we bumped and rolled downhill-
first on top, then the balloons on top,
then at last rolling ball OF balloons
with me inside. was too scared even
to think OF death, although II had
been alone death was certain. All al
once heard the sound OF hoofs that
scrambled over the rocks, shouts in the
English tongue and siamboks that
whistled as they lashed round. Balloons
turned to tilmy things and took wing
as, saved, tainted. Youths Com
panion.