Page:The red book of animal stories.djvu/243

 of his wanderings, he happened to come upon a flock of goats with a baboon for their guardian! Yet this strange sight might have been met with in the land of the Namaquas, about seventy years ago. His master had caught him when a baby, and carefully trained him up to this duty, which he fulfilled as well as any Scotch sheep dog that ever lived. Every morning the baboon drove his charges out to the fields for pasture, and every evening be brought them safe back again, riding always on the



THE BABOON WHO LOOKED AFTER THE GOATS

back of the last, so that he might keep an eye on any stragglers. For wages, he was given the milk of one goat, and he was most particular in keeping to his part of the bargain, and in guarding the others from the hot and thirsty children, who would have been glad of a drink. In the evening his master would give him a little meat for supper.

But the poor fellow was not long left in peace to perform his task. One day, when he was sleeping in the