146 



GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



a little rough, and I tried to get him down out of my 

 lap, but he was not disposed to go. Finally, I told 

 my boy, who acted as interpreter, to tell the native 

 lads to come and take him away. This amused 

 them very much, for they saw that I was bigger than 

 the ape, and thought I ought therefore to manage 

 him myself. They complied, however, but his 

 apeship declined to go until one of the men of the 

 town interfered and compelled him to do so. 



As he got down from my lap, one of the boys 

 bantered him to play. He accepted the challenge, 

 and ran after the lad until they reached the end of 

 the open space between the houses, when the boy 

 fell upon the ground and the ape fell on him. They 

 rolled and wallowed on the ground for a time, when 

 the ape released himself and ran away to the other 

 end of the opening, the boy pursuing him. When 

 they reached the end of the street, they again fell 

 upon each other and another scuffle ensued. It was 

 plain to be seen that the boy could run much faster 

 than the ape, but he did not try to elude him. 



The other children crowded around them or 

 followed them, looking on, laughing and shouting in 

 the greatest glee. First one boy and then another 

 took his turn in the play, but the ape did not lose 

 interest in me. He stopped from time to time to 

 take another survey, but did not try again to get 

 upon my lap. 



After a long time at this sport, the ape quit 

 playing and sat down by the wall of a house, with 

 his back against it; the children tried in vain to 



