about for a better view, they abandoned the silent 

 methods and bounded freely from branch to branch 

 for fresh cover, always ducking behind something if 

 I pointed the gun or a stick or even my arm at them, 

 and getting into paroxysms of rage and leaning over 

 to slang and cheek me whenever it seemed safe. 



Jock was full of excitement, thoroughly warmed up 

 and anxious to be at them, running about from place 

 to place to watch them, tacking and turning and jump- 

 ing for better views, and now and then running to the 

 trunk and scraping at it. Whenever he did this there 

 was a moment's silence ; the idea of playing a trick 

 on them struck me and I caught Jock up and put him in 

 the fork of a big main branch about six feet from the 

 ground. The effect was magical : the whole of the top 

 of the tree seemed to whip and rustle at once, and in 

 two seconds there was not a monkey left. 



Then a wave in the top of a small tree some distance 

 off betrayed them and we gave chase a useless romp- 

 ing school-boy chase. They were in the small trees 

 away from the river and it was easy to see and follow 

 them ; and to add to the fun and excitement I threw 

 stones at the branches behind them. Their excite- 

 ment and alarm then became hysterical, and as we 

 darted about to head them off they were several times 

 obliged to scamper a few yards along the ground to 

 avoid me and gain other trees. It was then that Jock 

 enjoyed himself most : he ran at them and made 

 flying leaps and snaps as they sprang up the trees out 

 of reach. It was like a caricature of children in one 

 of their make-believe chases ; the screams, grimaces, 



364 



