276 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



Darwin — in my monkey chain there was not one 

 missing link. 



At last they disappeared below the plantain-tops, 

 and I could hear the old chief marshalling them at 

 the foot of the cliff. K Hark ! " whispered the little 

 negro by my side, "he old man counting him ma- 

 caque" True enough, the old man was counting his 

 flock ; there was silence immediately after the descent, 

 broken by grunts, as old gray-back tallied them off — 

 " ump, ump, ump — go ! " 



It really seemed as though he gave the word ; and 

 there is no doubt he did, as, at the last grunt, there 

 was a scampering, and the monkeys scattered them- 

 selves through the grove. Not so with the ancient ; 

 he duly felt the weight of responsibility, and did not 

 join the rest in their sport or search for food, but as- 

 cended the ladder of vines, and perched himself in the 

 fork of a limb overlooking the whole field. 



During this time I was most assuredly excited. By 

 darting forward, when that chain of monkeys was sus- 

 pended in mid-air, I could have got two good shots 

 into them before they dispersed. But at least two 

 motives restrained me : first, I wished to observe their 

 actions ; second, I shrank from killing creatures so 

 human-like. The temptation was so strong, however, 

 that I could only withhold myself by great effort, and 

 was trembling with excitement. Again, what if there 

 was some remote relation in that throng? or — what 

 was more probable — some descendant of an ancestor 

 in common with the little negro crouching by my side ? 

 Such thoughts restrained me. 



Meanwhile, the grove was alive with monkeys, 

 tearing down bunches of bananas and plantains, 



