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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



side us through the trees in a desperate 

 attempt to cross in front of the car be- 

 fore we could catch up to them. 



When they did cross, far overhead, in 

 a stream of small gray bodies flying 

 through the air between the treetops, 

 they as furiously raced along on the other 

 side and crossed back again. Others 

 clung to swaying branches and bounded 

 up and down in a frenzy of excitement, 

 shrieking gibes in sharp crescendo as we 

 passed. 



Often in the midst of their agitation 

 they suddenly lost all interest and forth- 

 with paid no more attention to us ; or sat 

 in silence with weazened, whiskered 

 faces peering solemnly down from the 

 trees. 



As in Ceylon, it would have been dis- 

 astrous to leave the motor unguarded 

 anywhere in a Sumatra forest, for every- 

 thing that prying fingers could unscrew 

 or remove would soon be reposing merrily 

 in the tree-tops. 



There were many tribes of the monkey 

 people : little black fellows with very long 

 tails ; troops of impudent brown ones ; 

 shy black-and-white monkeys with fine 

 silky coats ; and hordes of big gray beasts 

 who chased and tweaked each other, 

 evoking shrieks of protest. 



Near by, yet aloof from the bands that 

 fed and gamboled together, were a few 

 enormous black bulks which from the 

 distance might have been curious vegeta- 

 ble formations in the trees. But they 

 moved, and I stopped to examine one 

 through the glasses, when my mother 

 suddenly called my attention to some- 

 thing on the other side. 



From a leafy branch less than fortv 

 feet away a great round head protruded 

 and a solemn black face, comically like a 

 sulky old savage, gazed out upon us. For 

 a few minutes it stared in silence ; then 

 with unhurried, deliberate movements re- 

 turned to a leisurely search for food. 



WATCHING THE POWERFUL ORANG- 

 OUTANG 



"Orang-outang," I whispered. "Only 

 found here and in Borneo. There are 

 two more on the other side. . . . See 

 him pull that branch down !" He reached 

 up one tremendous, sinewy arm and with 



the greatest ease drew down a branch that 

 would scarcely have bent beneath the 

 weight of a heavy man. Holding it with 

 one hand, he pawed idly over it with the 

 other, occasionally transferring some 

 morsel to his mouth and promptly spitting 

 it out if it displeased him. 



When the branch was duly inspected 

 he released it, and the szuish! of leaves 

 as it flew back through the air gave some 

 idea of the strength that had bent it. 



There was no need of whispering, for 

 although we watched this one for half an 

 hour with the glasses he ignored our pres- 

 ence completely, and except for the first 

 brief inspection not one of the big apes 

 showed a sign of consciousness of our 

 proximity. They were very well aware 

 of it, but were too powerful for fear, and 

 the orang-outang rarely troubles those 

 who do not bother him. We were not 

 inclined to regret this indifference, how- 

 ever, for the "old man of the forest" 

 can be extremely disagreeable when he 

 chooses. 



AN UNSOCIABLE JUNCEE BEAST 



The other monkeys and apes all moved 

 in troops, but the orang-outangs went 

 alone — severely alone — for their smaller 

 relations seemed to give them a wide 

 berth. 



Unlike the monkeys, they appeared con- 

 servative of energy, and every movement 

 was carried out with a careful delibera- 

 tion most amusing to watch. Their huge 

 black bodies were very conspicuous in the 

 trees; their trunks thicker than a man's, 

 with short, heavy legs and arms of extra- 

 ordinary length and power. 



Apparently quite satisfied with the food 

 within reach, the great apes moved lazily 

 along the branches, holding on with their 

 feet and scarcely changing their positions 

 while we watched them. One eventually 

 decided to transfer his operations else- 

 where and sauntered off through the 

 trees, swinging his upright body from 

 branch to branch with powerful, far- 

 reaching arms. His movements were still 

 slow and deliberate, but the progress he 

 made was astonishing, though now and 

 then interrupted as he stopped to investi- 

 gate some delicacy. 



The last we saw of him he was hang- 



