About this time Captain 
Brown made a trip in his 
launch exploring the new 
avenues for motor-boats and 
in a territory where he had 
hunted for years afoot. In 
passing some matted drift 
composed of dead vegeta- 
tion, which, under the pres- 
sure of the wind, had just 
passed out from a recently 
flooded island, he noticed 
lying fast asleep thereon a 
beautiful little fawn. It was 
but a few days old and the 
debris had been its cradle 
within the flooded timber. 
Now separated forever 
from its mother, in the open 
lake, and destined to starve, 
drown, or become the prey 
of eagles or alligators, it was 
taken aboard and added to 
the captain’s collection of 
native animals at Gatun. 
Raised by hand and under 
kind treatment, it reached 
maturity, becoming the fa- 
vorite pet of the canal vil- 
lage (see page 1723). 
A STARVING OWL MONKEY 
A few months later, upon 
another expedition in the 
same region, a good lookout 
was kept for other marooned 
animals. Finally, in a large 
tree surrounded by water 
and a considerable distance 
from dry land, a round furry 
object was noticed in an up- 
per crotch. As the launch 
approached, the ball unrolled into a small 
monkey-like creature, but with the bulg- 
ing eyes of a lemur which Captain Brown 
felt sure was a rarely seen nocturnal spe- 
cies known as the owl monkey. 
As this would prove a rare find, besides 
once more saving another animal in dis- 
tress, the launch was tied to the tree and 
an effort made to slip a noose over its 
head by means of a boat-hook; but this 
proved unsuccessful. Then a ripe banana 
was placed invitingly on the bow, and 
Captain Brown retired to the stern to 
await results. Ina very few minutes the 
little animal came down the tree, leaped 
OUR 
threes: 
HOUSE-BOAT 
VILLAGE OF 
Note the floating islands near shore. 
great size when permanently anchored by snags and dead 
71 
\NCHORED OVER THE FLOODED 
ESCOBAL, 
These become of 
on deck, and began eagerly devouring the 
fruit. It was evidently on the verge of 
starvation and permitted the rope to be 
cast off without showing any desire to 
seek its former retreat. An hour later 
the little monkey was placed in the same 
pen with the fawn and fed, when it 
sought a shelf on the rear porch, where 
it was concealed during the daytime by 
boxes and coils of rope. 
True to its nature, it was never seen 
in the daytime, except when purposely 
disturbed, but after dark became con- 
tinuously active (see page 175). On chilly 
nights it would seek the sleeping fawn 
