It was
quite dry, and, as we were very tired, we lay down with our heads on
our bundles, intending to take a nap; but we had hardly made ourselves
comfortable and shut our eyes, when we heard such a screaming and
barking that we were frightened out of our lives almost. We could not
think what it could be. At last Hastings peeped out, and began to
laugh; so Homer and I looked out also, and there we saw about one
hundred and fifty large baboons leaping and tumbling about in such a
way as I never saw; they were bigger than we were - indeed, when they
stood on their hind legs they were much taller, and they had very large
white tusks. Some of them were females, with young ones on their backs,
and they were just as active as the males. At last they played such
antics, that we all burst out into a loud laugh, and we had not ceased
when we found the grinning face of one of the largest of those brutes
close to our own. He had dropped from the rock above us, like magic. We
all three backed into the cave, very much frightened, for the teeth of
the animal were enormous, and he looked very savage. He gave a shrill
cry, and we perceived all the rest of the herd coming to him as fast as
they could.
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