246 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



blue sky ; and in the chambers and galleries of 

 the upper world the birds and insects carry on 

 varied businesses of their own. After a time 

 the corner of my eye caught a quick movement 

 far to the left and in a shadow. At once I turned 

 my attention that way. After minute scrutiny 

 I at length made out a monkey. Evidently 

 considering himself quite unobserved, he was 

 slowly and with great care stalking our camp. 

 Inch by inch he moved, taking skilful advantage 

 of every bit of cover, flattening himself along 

 the limbs, hunching himself up behind bunches 

 of leaves, until he had gained a big limb directly 

 overhead. There he stretched flat, staring down 

 at the scene that had so strongly aroused his 

 curiosity. I lay there for over two hours read- 

 ing and dozing. My friend aloft never stirred. 

 When dusk fell he was still there. Some time 

 after dark he must have regained his band, for in 

 the morning the limb was vacant. 



Now comes the part of this story that really 

 needs a witness, not to veracity perhaps, but to 

 accuracy of observations. Fortunately I have 

 F. About noon next day the monkey returned 

 to his point of observation. He used the same 

 precautions as to concealment; he followed his 

 route of the day before ; he proceeded directly 



