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 173). 



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 



OUR HOUSE-BOAT ANCHORED OVER THE FLOODED 

 VILLAGE OF ESCOBAL 



Note the floating islands near shore. These become of 

 great size when permanently anchored by snags and dead 

 trees. 



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- 

 await results. In a very few minutes the tinuously active (seepage 175). On chilly 

 little animal came down the tree, leaped nights it would seek the sleeping fawn 



171 



