Truey, and Jan, and Totty, saw, to their dismay, that the baboons were not out upon an idle errand.
They were after the maize-plants! In a few minutes most of the troop had entered the corn-field, and were hidden from view by the tall stems and broad leaves of the plants.

A few only could be seen,--large old fellows, that stationed themselves outside as sentinels, and were keeping up a constant interchange of signals.

The main body was already stripping the plants of their precious fruit.
But a singular appearance presented itself beyond the corn-field, where a line of baboons, stationed at equal distance from one another, extended away to the very bottom of the cliff.

These had been left by a regular manoeuvre,--a deployment--as the troop traversed the plain in coming to the field.

For what purpose?
That was soon apparent.