150 THE OUT-STATION ; OR, 



A few miles further inland is a celebrated monkey 

 territory, where the tribe grow to a larger size than 

 anywhere else, and where a story is told, and I be- 

 lieve truly, of a certain functionary in the island who 

 had the misfortune to fire at one of the animals in 

 hope of carrying home his carcase to be stuffed. 



He had no sooner fired than the whole forest rang 

 with the most heart-piercing cries, and in a very 

 short space of time he saw an army of monkeys, some 

 standing nearly five feet in height, arrayed against 

 him, whilst some attended to their wounded brother. 



Of course he lost no time in beating a retreat, but 

 was soon overtaken by the exasperated animals, one 

 of whom walked deliberately up to him, and took 

 away his gun, and having thus punished him, allowed 

 him to depart in a whole skin, which was more than 

 he deserved, for there is something so cold-blooded, 

 so useless, so uncalled-for a slaughter of the prototype 

 of man in a poor defenceless monkey, that a person 

 ought at least to be half hanged for such an act. 



(If you happen to know any Ceylon man, my dear 

 reader, mention the story to him, and he will tell you 

 the person's name if you are inquisitive.) 



The oysters at last coming to an end or, being 

 tired of a game at which there was no reciprocal fun 

 having issued marching orders to all that survived, 

 the place is again deserted by every one except the 

 troops, who remain till the last captured oyster is 

 thoroughly decomposed, and then, in case they (the 



