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. " 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, 



