ith a rapid twinkle of
the eye he discovered that he was high enough to be safe from the
gnashing teeth of the infuriated dog below. Instantly becoming calm, he
gazed upwards and around, with a quiet and contemplative air, as though
he had sought this elevated position for the sole purpose of meditating
on the weakness of baboon and animal nature generally, but more
particularly on the foibles of excited Kaffir curs.

I was much amused in watching this creature's, revenge on a crow that
had frequently robbed him of tit-bits which by accident had gone beyond
the reach of his chain. He watched this bird flying round him,
settling, and walking nearer, and again flying; so he left his meal, and
laid himself down, as though the wished-for food was entirely beneath
his notice. The crow settled near, and carefully watched the
proceedings. First he inspected the chopped potatoes and meat, and then
the sleepy baboon. Again the tempting morsels attracted his hungry
appetite, and after one or two retreats, he at last came fairly up to
the tin dish,--not a move from the baboon. Crow gobbled down a bit, and
looked suspiciously round,--still all was safe. Again a mouthful was
bolted; then, as if satisfied that it had entirely mistaken the
character of the hairy little creature about whom he had been
suspicious, but who was really at heart a very generous fellow, the bird
dived its beak well amongst the good things. An attentive observer
might now see the hair on the back of the baboon rising up in a very
curious way, while his body seemed to be slightly writhing. Suddenly,
with one spring, he was upon the bird, who had scarcely time to open its
wings. With a chorus of triumphant barks he held the crow by the neck,
while he swung it about at arm's length, so that any expostulating "caw"
that might have been uttered was strangled before it could be
circulated, like a disloyal article in a continental newspaper. No one
could say of this bird that it carried out the corvine principle, and--

"--died as slow,
As the morning mists down the hill that go."

For the whole business was over in half a minute, after which several
feathers were pulled out, and the carrion then flung away, as a scare
and warning to all other hungry crows. The baboon then finished his
dinner with a very satisfied air.

His literary taste was the cause of his being a chained prisoner, as,
rambling one day into a hut near, he drank a b