"No; they subsist exclusively on fruits, seeds, and other vegetable matter. In the countries where they live, especially near the Cape of Good Hope, the inhabitants chase them with dogs and guns in order to destroy them, on account of the ravages they commit in the fields and gardens. It is said that they make a very obstinate resistance to the dogs, and often have fierce battles with them; but they greatly fear the gun.
"As the baboon grows older, instead of becoming better, his rage increases, so that the slightest cause will provoke him to terrible fury."
"Why, Minnie, in order to satisfy you, any one must become a walking encyclopædia. What other question have you to ask?"
"Why, they must have something to eat, and how are they to get it unless they go into gardens?"
Mr. Lee laughed aloud. "I rather think I should soon convince them they were not to enter my garden," he said, emphatically. "But seriously, they descend in vast numbers upon the orchards of fruit, destroying, in a few hours, the work of months, or even of years. In these excursions, they move on a concerted plan, placing sentinels on commanding spots, to give notice of the approach of an enemy. As soon as he perceives danger, the sentinel gives a loud yell, and then the whole troop rush away with the greatest speed, cramming the fruit which they have gathered into their cheek pouches."
Minnie looked so much disappointed when he ceased speaking, that her mother said, "I read somewhere an account of a baboon that was named Kees, who was the best of his kind that I ever heard of."
"Yes, that was quite an interesting story, if you can call it to mind," said the gentleman, rising.
"It was in a book of travels in Africa," the lady went on. "The traveller, whose name was Le Vaillant, took Kees through all his journey, and the creature really made himself very useful. As a sentinel, he was better than any of the dogs. Indeed, so quick was his sense of danger, that he often gave notice of the approach of beasts of prey, when every thing was apparently secure.
"There was another way in which Kees made himself useful. Whenever they came across any fruits or roots with which the Hottentots were unacquainted, they waited to see whether Kees would taste them. If he threw them down, the traveller concluded they were poisonous or disagreeable, and left them untasted.