278 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



years, evidently his mother, about whose neck was 

 dangling an infant a few months old. To her the 

 delighted reprobate pointed us out ; inquiring, in mon- 

 key language, probably, if those objects below were 

 not " a man, and a brother." 



What a look of horror convulsed the old lady's face 

 when she saw herself in such proximity to a dreaded 

 man, an enemy to her race ! She turned about with 

 such violence as to jerk loose the infant that clung 

 about her neck, who fell to the ground. Maternal 

 solicitude, even, could not arrest her flight, as she 

 fled chattering to the vine-ladder, and hurriedly as- 

 cended it, followed by her wondering son. 



A bark from the patriarch summoned the rest of the 

 gang so quickly, that they slid over those lianas and 

 out of sight behind the cliff, in less time than I can 

 write it in. Not one remained, save that infant 

 monkey. on the ground, which was just recovering 

 its scattered senses as little Jim darted forward to 

 secure it. Quickly as Jim rushed out, the monkey 

 was yet more agile, and gathered himself up and 

 leaped into a clump of razor-grass. Into this the 

 little negro dashed, regardless of the cuts of the 

 cruel blades. 



The razor-grass is a terrible pest in these woods, 

 climbing into trees and overhanging trails ; every 

 leaf of it which touches you clings to you and cuts 

 like a jagged-edged razor. Spite of his burning 

 desire to capture a monkey, Jim was obliged to stop 

 and disentangle himself, and before I had gained the 

 scene, the monkey was in the lianas. Slowly and 

 feebly it ascended, but I could not shake it down, and 

 to shoot it was out of the question. 



