above. The pip gave me the line, and away up among 

 the thick dark foliage I saw a little old face looking 

 down at me ; the quick restless eyes were watchfully 

 on the move, and the mouth partly opened in the shape 

 of an O face and attitude together a vivid expression 

 of surprise and indignation combined with breathless 

 interest. 



As my eyes fairly met those above me, the monkey 

 ducked its head forward and promptly ' made a face ' 

 at me without uttering a sound. Then others showed 

 up in different places, and whole figures became visible 

 now as the monkeys stole softly along the branches 

 to get a better look at Jock and me : there were a 

 couple of dozen of them of all sizes. 



They are the liveliest, most restless, and most in- 

 quisitive of creatures ; ludicrously nervous and excit- 

 able ; quick to chattering anger and bursts of hysterical 

 passion, which are intensely comical, especially when 

 they have been scared. They are creatures whose 

 method of progress most readily betrays them by the 

 swaying of a branch or quivering of leaves, yet they 

 can steal about and melt away at will, like small grey 

 ghosts, silent as the grave. 



I had often tried to trap them, but never succeeded : 

 Jantje caught them, as he caught everything, with 

 cunning that out-matched his wilder kindred ; pit- 

 falls, nooses, whip-traps, fall-traps, foot-snares, drags, 

 slip-knots of all kinds, and tricks that I cannot now 

 remember, were in his repertory ; but he disliked 

 showing his traps, and when told to explain he would 

 half sulkily show one of the common kind. 



360 



