The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-04-02
BATTLE WITH BABOONS.
Story of Miraculous Escape and Sur
plisinS Anti-C Climax.

When | was in South Africa,
correspondent of the Youths Com
panion writes. l left Mangwe one af-
ternoon, in company with couple of
men who were travelling up-country.
All we had were sjamboks-whips
made of single strip of the hippo
potamus hide, and stout enough to
main a man if the blow was we'll
directed. Suddenly 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 baboons marching
toward the hill.
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 lash out
with our sjamboks in all directions.
The balloons jabbered, and showed
their teeth, but never 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 baboons swarmed up
like acrobats. l 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 baboons were.
A black old-man baboon was near
est. and | made rush for him. He
didn't run. I cut at him with the
whip. He only barred his teeth and
snarled. I looked around. On every
side were big men balloons, and each
barred his teeth as l caught his eye.
l lost my nerve and couldn't even
think of a way out. All 1 could do was
to back up to a rock, keep the ba-
boons 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 no small size, either. Luckily,
baboon is not a good marksman; he
makes a Jump as he throws. Those
baboons hit one another as often as
they hit me.
Very slowly backed for the rock;
very 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 I changed my direction, and
amid the fusilade of stones approach
ed the brink of the declivity.
reached it at last, and began care
fully to back down. The stones fell
thicker than ever. In protection
I had to hold my arms over my head.
All the time there was hideous jab-
bering and screaming.
Presently I was virtually under
meath some of them. The old black
fellow who had first faced me pick
ed up a rock half as big as himself
and dropped it. l lodged, stumbled
over a rock behind me, and fell.
Then l knew what they were wait
ing for. A score of them were on
me in a moment. They tore at me
and bit me fiercely. If they 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.
1 tried to keep their nails away
from my eyes and face and throat,
and together we rolled over and
over down the slope of the hill. l
was scratched and bleeding in
dozen places, and 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 I on top, then the baboons on
top, then at last a rolling ball of. ba-
boons with me inside. was too
scared to think even of death, al
though if had been alone. death was
certain. All at once I heard the
sound of hoofs that scrambled over
the rocks. shouts in the English
tongue and sjamboks that whistled as
they lashed around. Balloons turned
to filmy things and took wing, the
sky cleared and turned bright blue,
and I went to sleep.
To- l.