He sat for a quarter of an hour to rest himself, and then proceeded along the path, whose direction seemed to be the northwest.
For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden outcry ahead.
Scampering along the path came a number of great baboons, and Frank at once stepped aside into the bush to avoid them, as these are formidable creatures when disturbed.

They were of a very large species, and several of the females had little ones clinging around their necks.

In the distance Frank could hear the shouts of some natives, and supposed that the monkeys had been plundering their plantations, and that they were driving them away.

The baboons passed without paying any attention to him, but Frank observed that the last of the troop was carrying a little one in one of its forearms.
Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its waist a string of blue beads.

As a string of beads is the only attire which a negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten or eleven years old, the truth at once flashed upon Frank that the baboons were carrying off a native baby, which had probably been set down by its mother while she worked in the plantation.