im, only going towards
the opposite side of the circle of our assailants.

The manoeuvre was not without its effect. The baboons retreated before
this odd species of assault, but not so precipitately, as to leave any
hope of our being able to drive them off altogether. On the contrary,
as soon as we stopped they stopped also; and when we returned towards
the fire to exchange our brands for others, they followed us up and came
as close as ever. They grew even more furious and noisy--for the fact
that we had not injured any of them taught them to look upon our
firebrands as harmless weapons, and no longer to be dreaded.

We repeated the manoeuvre more than once; but it soon ceased to inspire
them with fear; and we had to wave the torches before their very snouts
before we could cause them to turn tail and run from us.

"This way won't do, Will'm," said my companion, in a voice that told his
alarm, "they won't be run off, lad! I'll try 'em with a shot from the
old piece--maybe that'll send 'em a bit."

The "Queen Anne," was loaded, as usual, with small shot; and we had
thought of firing at them when they first came up; but we knew that the
small shot would only sting them, without doing any real injury, and,
consequently, render them more furious, and implacable. We had,
therefore, abstained from firing the gun, until we should try the effect
of the firebrands.

Now, however, Ben was determined, that at least one of them should pay
the forfeit; and I saw him pushing the ramrod into the gun--just as we
had done when loading for the lion.

In a few seconds he had got ready; and then stepping forward till he
stood near the line of the threatening mandrills, he pointed the piece
at one of the largest and fired.

A scream of pain announced that he had aimed well; and the great brute
was seen sprawling over the ground, and struggling in the agonies of
death--while a crowd of its companions rushing from all sides gathered
around it. At the same instant I had fired the pistol and wounded
another of them, which also became the centre of a sympathising group,
Ben and I, after firing, ran back to the fire. It was impossible to
reload the gun--since the ramrod was now sticking in the body of the
baboon--but, even had we been in possession of a dozen ramrods, we
should not have found time to use them. The effect of our shots, fatal
as they had been, was the very reverse of what might have been
anticipated. Instead of i