148 APES AND MONKEYS 



From the trading post to the Rembo was a journey of 



five days on foot. Along the way were a few straggling 

 villages ; but most of the route lay through a wild and deso- 

 late forest., traversed by low. broad marshes, through which 



wind shallow sloughs of filth}", greenish water, seeking its 

 way among bending roots and fallen leaves. From the foul 

 bosom of these marshes rise the effluvia of decaying plants, 

 breeding pestilence and death. Here and there across the 

 dreary tracts is found the trail of elephants, where the great 

 beasts have broken their tortuous way through the dense 

 barriers of bush and vine. These trails serve as roads for 

 the native traveler and afford the only way of crossing 

 these otherwise trackless jungles. The only means of 

 passing the dismal swamps is to wade through the thin, 

 slimy mud, often more than knee-deep, and sometimes 

 extending man}- hundred feet in width. The traveler is 

 intercepted at almost every step by the tangled roots of 

 mangrove trees under foot or clusters of vines hanging 

 from the boughs overhead. 



Such was the route we came. But Aaron did not realize 

 how severe was the task of his carrier in trudging his way 

 through such places, and the little rogue often added to the 

 labor by seizing hold of limbs or vines that hung within his 

 reach in passing. Thus he retarded the progress of the 

 boy, who strongly protested against the ape's amusing him- 

 self in this manner. The latter seemed to know of no 

 reason why he should not do so, and the former did not 

 deign to give one. So the quarrel went on until Ave reached 

 the river ; but by that time each of them had imbibed a 

 hatred for the other that nothing in the future ever allayed. 



