THE CAPTURE OF MOSES 



89 



like a magpie, and brush at it with his hands until 

 he got rid of it. He always used a certain sound for 

 this kind of annoyance ; it differed slightly from those 

 I have described as warning. 



Moses tried to be honest, but he was affected with 

 a species of kleptomania, and could not resist the 

 temptation to purloin anything that came in his way. 

 The small stove upon which I prepared my food 

 was placed on a shelf in one corner of the cage, about 

 half-way between the floor and the top. Whenever 

 anything was set on the stove to cook, he had to be 

 watched to keep him from climbing up the side of 

 the cage, reaching his arm through the meshes and 

 stealing it. He was sometimes very persevering in 

 this matter. One day I set a tin can of water on 

 the stove to heat in order to make some coffee ; he 

 silently climbed up, reached his hand through, stuck 

 it in the can, and began to search for anything it 

 might contain. I threw out the water, refilled the 

 can, and drove him away. In a few minutes he re- 

 turned and repeated the act. I had a piece of canvas 

 hung up on the outside of the cage to keep him 

 away. The can of water was placed on the stove 

 for the third time, but within a minute he found his 

 way by climbing up under the curtain between it 

 and the cage. I determined to teach him a lesson. 

 He was allowed to explore the can, but finding 

 nothing he withdrew his hand, and sat there clinging 

 to the side of the cage. Again he tried, but found 

 nothing. The water was getting warmer, but was 

 still not hot. At length, for the third or fourth time 



