"A GLEESOME, FLEASOME THOU" 171 



seeming to be quite as much exercised in his mind 

 about the disaster as the dogs were. He flopped 

 on to the wall, and led the dogs a good dance up 

 and down from end to end, several times. Then 

 he got bolder, and ran down a broken bough right 

 into the garden close to me and ensconced himself 

 in his own odorous branches. Nous was after him, 

 as high up the trunk as he could get; but the 

 monkey dodged him and Klinker from place to 

 place, seemingly on purpose to tease the dogs. At 

 last I drove him away with a stick, and he sat in a 

 tree on the other side of the wall, whence he could 

 just see me over the top ; and every time I looked 

 at him, he mouthed at me, which I returned with 

 interest. He is a handsome fellow, with very black 

 face and feet, and bright red brown body, covered 

 with long hair; nothing like the weedy hairless, 

 specimens seen in most Zoos, but in perfect con- 

 dition. Kipling must have been feeling the hot 

 weather rather badly though, when he wrote : 



" An inscrutable decree 

 Made thee a gleesome, 

 Fleasome Thou, 

 And me a wretched Me." 



