Jock Of The Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (Chapter 23)( Page 2 ) The Fighting Baboon

"Too long between drinks for him!  Gone for a pull at the private bottle." "Is that how it's going?" "Yah! all day long.  Drinks here as long as any one'll call, but don't do much shoutin' on his own, I tell you!  That's the first time I seen him call for a week.  He wanted to get you chaps on the go, I reckon. He'll be wrong all day to-day.  I know him!" "Cost him two bob for nothing, eh!" "Well, it ain't so much that; ye see, he reckoned you'd all shout your turns, and drinks'd come regular; but he sees you're not on.  Twig?  I'm not complainin' mind you- Lord no!  He don't pay any way!  It's all `chalked up' for him, an' I got to wipe it off the slate when the next loads comes and he collects my customs' duties.  His liquor's took him wrong to-da --you'll see!" We did see; and that before very long.  We had forgotten Seedling, and were hearing all about the new finds reported from Barberton district, when one of the waggon boys came running into the store calling to me by my kaffir name and shouting excitedly, "Baas, Baas! come quickly!  The baboon has got Jock: it will kill him!" I had known all about the vicious brute, and had often heard of Seedling's fiendish delight in arranging fights or enticing dogs up to attack it for the pleasure of seeing the beast kill the over-matched dogs.  The dog had no chance at all, for the baboon remained out of reach in his house on the pole as long as it chose, if the dog was too big or the opening not a good one, and made its rush when it would tell best.  But apart from this the baboon was an exceptionally big and powerful one, and it is very doubtful if any dog could have tackled it successfully in an open fight.  The creature was as clever as even they can be; its enormous jaws and teeth were quite equal to the biggest dog's, and it had the advantage of four `hands.'  Its tactics in a fight were quite simple and most effective; with its front feet it caught the dog by the ears or neck, holding the head so that there was no risk of being bitten, and then gripping the body lower down with the hind feet, it tore lumps out of the throat, breast, and stomach--pushing with all four feet and tearing with the terrible teeth.  The poor dogs were hopelessly out-matched. I did not see the beginning of Jock's encounter, but the boys' stories pieced together told everything.  It appears that when Seedling left the store he went in to his own hut and remained there some little time; on coming out again he strolled over to the baboon's pole about half-way between the two houses and began teasing it, throwing pebbles at it to see it dodge and duck behind the pole, and then flicking at it with the sjambok, amused by its frightened and angry protests.  While he was doing this, Jock, who had followed me to the  store, strolled out again making his way towards the waggons.  He was not interested in our talk; he had twice been accidentally trodden on by men stepping back as he lay stretched out on the floor behind them; and doubtless he felt that it was no place for him: his deafness prevented him from hearing movements, except such as caused vibration in the ground, and, poor old fellow, he was always at a disadvantage in houses and towns. The baboon had then taken refuge in its box on top of the pole to escape the sjambok, and when Seedling saw Jock come out he commenced whistling and calling softly to him.  Jock, of course, heard nothing: he may have responded mildly to the friendly overtures conveyed by the extended hand and patting of legs, or more probably simply took the nearest way to the waggon where he might sleep in peace, since there was nothing else to do.  What the boys agree on is that as Jock passed the pole Seedling patted and held him, at the same time calling the baboon, and then gave the dog a push which did not quite roll him over but upset his balance; and Jock, recovering himself, naturally jumped round and faced Seedling, standing almost directly between him and the baboon.  He could not hear the rattle of the chain on the box and pole, and saw nothing of the charging brute, and it was the purest accident that the dog stood a few inches out of reach.  The baboon--chained by the neck instead of the waist, because it used to bite through all loin straps--made its rush, but the chain brought it up before its hands could reach Jock and threw the hind quarters round with such force against him that he was sent rolling yards away. I can well believe that this second attack from a different and wholly unexpected quarter thoroughly roused him, and can picture how he turned to face it.