Philip Garland, a merchant from New York, shipwrecked on this island, is held captive by a large troop of apes, who have taken possession of cottages erected by Captain Seaworth. Should this, by chance, fall into the hands of his countrymen, they are asked in the name of mercy and humanity to aid him in escaping.
Philip Garland, a merchant from New York, shipwrecked on this island, is held captive by a large troop of apes, who have taken possession of cottages erected by Captain Seaworth. Should this, by chance, fall into the hands of his countrymen, they are asked in the name of mercy and humanity to aid him in escaping.
There was a bare possibility that some of these documents might be lost by the messengers and found by those who would try to aid him. Improbable though such a contingency was, it served to cheer him at his work, and Goliah appeared pleased because of the rapidity with which the sheets were returned.
When an hour had passed, however, he not only grew weary, but dispirited, and would have stoppedhad not two apes, who were stationed directly behind his chair evidently by the big baboon’s orders, signified in the most emphatic manner that he was to continue the work. One boxed his ears soundly, while the other pointed toward the paper with harsh cries, which were echoed by Goliah in a more commanding tone.
There was to be no cessation in this dispatch-writing, and with a groan Philip resumed his labors, only to be subjected to the most violent usage whenever he faltered in the task.
The day passed with the animal-trainer still at the table, his head aching and his fingers cramped so that he could hardly hold the pen. He had long since ceased to write appeals for help, but covered the paper with any kind of marks made at random. Twice during the afternoon he ceased his labors because of sheer weariness, and on both occasions not only the two apes behind his chair, but all their companions in the room, pinched his arms, pulled his hair, struck heavy blows on his head, or scratched his face with their sharp claws.
Night came, and although it was not possible for him to see the marks left by the pen, his guards kept vigilant watch, forcing him by the most severe punishment to continue until the light of another dawn illumined the room wherein half a hundred vindictive animals watched for the least sign of faltering on the part of their unhappy prisoner.
It was when he believed it would be absolutely impossible to hold the quill between his nervelessfingers another moment that the sound of a bell from some remote portion of the building caused every ape to leave the room, and Philip staggered to his feet like one on the verge of exhaustion.
During these twenty-four hours he had blackened many quires of paper, and each sheet had passed from one ape to another, probably making half the circuit of the island before it was returned to Goliah. But now his labors were ended for the time being, at least, and he ran down the stairs as if thinking this bell summoned him to the breakfast he so ardently desired.
The two sentinels behind his chair had not ceased their duties of overseers, but in Goliah’s absence it was evident they did not dare to restrain his movements; and thus, comparatively free in a dwelling filled with brute enemies, he was allowed to proceed unmolested until he arrived at the veranda in the rear of the building, where an old ape was tugging vigorously at a bell attached to a post.
This veranda led into what might be called a court-yard, around each side of which were long, low buildings, probably used as sleeping-apartments for Captain Seaworth’s crew and clerks. The yard was covered with an awning, and in the center had been built a small pond, bordered with the tropical plants which grew in such profusion on the island. Here and there a banana-tree upreared its glossy leaves, and at irregular intervals smooth trunks of the bamboo thrust their delicate foliage through apertures made in the awning.
It was a place where wearied workers might seek rest from their toil, and undoubtedly Captain Seaworth had caused it to be so arranged for his own especial enjoyment.
An air of homeliness at variance with what Philip had already witnessed was presented in the person of an old monkey seated near the shore of the miniature pond holding her baby, while she watched, with all the care and considerably more than the tenderness of our imported French nurses, over several little monkeys who were not yet old enough to run about alone.
Such was the view from the veranda looking into the court-yard. Gazing in the opposite direction, however, a less interesting spectacle was presented. Philip was standing just outside of what had evidently served as Captain Seaworth’s dining-room. Here the tables had been spread by the monkey attendants, or left by the domestics originally employed in the house, and the scene of disorder may be imagined. Plates were scattered about in every direction—on the floor, the chairs and the window-sills. Broken glassware and crockery rendered walking dangerous unless one’s feet were well protected. Knives, forks, spoons, tumblers, bottles and fragments of food were strewn over the room in the greatest profusion.
Amid all this disorder, even as Philip stood gazing about with surprise and dismay written on his face, Goliah strutted into the room and seated himself in the very middle of the table, while his immediatefollowing clustered around him, some on the floor, others on chairs, and the two old advisers occupied either end of the festive-board.
Philip’s hunger was too great to admit of his being fastidious. None of the monkey-guests appeared to pay any particular attention to him, and he entered in the hope of finding food which was yet in a condition to be at least palatable.
All evidence of the cook’s skill, however, had long since been devoured or destroyed. The apes were eating raw vegetables, corn and leaves. The leaders of the party were feasting on a peculiar bark which had been freshly stripped from the trees, and was evidently considered as a choice morsel. They were by no means averse to their human servant partaking of the delicacy, and were even painfully hospitable, acting on their usual rule of all engaging in the same occupation at the same time.
Several gathered around Philip, and with manners more forcible than polite thrust into his mouth pieces of the bark, vegetables which resembled yams, and even going so far, in their eagerness, as to push two or three pieces of crockery between his teeth. In order to make certain that he was getting his full share, one venerable monkey held his mouth open that the others might more quickly satisfy his hunger, and it required very violent exertions on his part to prevent being choked to death.
Fortunately for him, before the entire party could indulge in this alleged hospitable work a number of apes entered the room bearing large quantities ofthe favorite bark, and a frantic rush was made by all the feasters, which resulted in his being neglected for the moment.
To satisfy his hunger with the articles of food here in the dining-room was impossible, while to remain might be to subject himself to a diet of crockery and glassware; therefore, at a moment when he fancied himself unnoticed, he stole softly out of the window into the court-yard, and continued on to the further end, where was a sign over one of the doors bearing the word “Kitchen.”
Not alone did he go, however, for the counselors on the table seeing his departure ran quickly after him, and in a twinkling every occupant of the dining-room was at his heels—not for the purpose of restraining his movements, but to learn what would be done.
To avoid this unpleasant retinue, if possible, he darted into an apartment midway between the kitchen and the veranda, which was evidently Captain Seaworth’s sitting-room. Here the work of destruction had not been so complete. Several chairs were yet in serviceable condition, while a violin, two guitars and a banjo hung on the walls with no marks of having been touched by the long-tailed invaders.
Philip did not delay in this room, however, since food was the one object of his desires, and he passed through several apartments until the kitchen was finally reached.
To this place the instincts of the apes weresufficient to give them free access. The doors of the cupboards were yet closed, for the invaders had not been able to unfasten the catches. The marks of their vain attempts in this direction, however, were written plainly in long scratches across the doors, as if they had been seeking for some secret spring, overlooking entirely the buttons and bolts.
Every member of the party from the dining-room was close at his heels when he opened the first of the cupboards and found it filled with all kinds of canned meats, poultry, vegetables, sardines, jam, milk, and other delicacies which were probably intended for the officers of the expedition.
The most conspicuous article in the closet was a huge jar of preserved ginger which had most likely been taken on board during the latter portion of the voyage, and this immediately attracted Goliah’s attention. The lid was partially off, and with one blow of his paw he dislodged it entirely, thrusting his head into the jar up to the shoulders.
His followers, envious of his good fortune, and not being able to procure for themselves anything from this newly-discovered hoard because of the narrowness of the door, seized their leader by the tail, pulling him from one side of the room to the other regardless of his efforts to remain quiet long enough to enjoy the unexpected feast.
As a matter of course the baboon was dragged over no inconsiderable space; but he managed to keep his head within the neck of the jar, and his zealous subjects only succeeded in rolling both himand the sweetmeats about, his hairy shoulders completely filling the mouth of the vessel so that none of the contents were spilled.
Philip was entirely neglected during this strife in which every member of the brute company took part, and it was evident the struggle would be ended only when Goliah’s tail was pulled out, the jar broken, or his head removed from its sweet resting-place.
During five minutes Philip watched the struggle between Goliah and his subjects with no slight amusement. The baboon’s long tail made an excellent handle, and by the aid of it the apes swung him around and around, with the jar still covering his head, in what was at the same time a most laughable and dangerous manner.
It would have been possible for the baboon to release himself at any moment by loosening his hold of the jar; but the dainties to be found therein were too enticing to be relinquished so readily, and without protest he allowed himself to be flung from one side of the room to the other, he eating greedily all the while.
This struggle was not confined to the baboon and those who were swinging him around in such a lively fashion. It was only possible for half a dozen of his followers to grasp the tail, and the others were not content to remain simply as spectators when there was a possible opportunity to gorge themselves. The two old counselors had managed to seize the jar, but their united efforts were not sufficient to wrest it from Goliah; yet, having smeared their fingers with the juice which trickledover the leader’s shoulders, both were wildly eager to gain possession of some portion of the dainty.
Nor were they the only ones possessed with the same desire. The entire company seemed to have but one idea, which was to partake of preserved ginger at the earliest possible moment, and before five minutes elapsed there was every indication of an extensive riot. Each ape had begun to struggle with his neighbor, urged on alike by his love of sweetmeats and his instincts of imitation.
Now, while Philip would have welcomed the sudden death of the huge baboon who held him captive, he was by no means disposed to have the party engage in deadly combat if it could be avoided. He knew full well that before the fight had progressed very far one or more of the company would seize upon him; and in this encounter, where heads were pounded against the wall without any regard to the thickness of skull, he would stand in very much the same position as did the fragile vase when the bull made his way into the china-shop.
Unfortunately there was but one jar of preserved ginger, and although he held out glass after glass of the jam and other preserves, not a single member of the party accepted the gift. Each was looking for a prize of the same size as that in Goliah’s possession, and nothing smaller would satisfy his ambition.
Then Philip attempted to leave the room, thinking they might follow, or that he would at least be free; but this was a movement impossible of executionowing to the whirling apes between him and the door, and any retreat was out of the question because the closet was too narrow to serve as a place of refuge.
Each second the strife waxed warmer, until it seemed as if the apartment was filled with monkeys of all sizes, who were being swung in the air by their tails; and more than once was Philip knocked down by the heads or arms of these living missiles.
At the moment when he had given up all hope of being able to check the wild scramble his eyes lighted upon a bag of nuts. In a twinkling he emptied them on the floor, and in an equally short space of time the confusion ceased as every ape began to scramble for his share of the fruit.
Goliah was the only one who did not join in this last scene. When those who had attached themselves to his tail let go their hold he was flung into one corner of the room with the jar still pressed tightly to his shoulders, and there he remained, unheeded and unheeding, gorging himself with the sweetmeats until the skin of his stomach was stretched as tight as the head of a drum.
While the long-tailed company were enjoying this unwonted feast, and strewing the floor thickly with nutshells, Philip made all haste to satisfy his hunger. There were plenty of sardines in the way of solid food, and these, with ship’s-biscuit, made a reasonably hearty meal, which he ate standing half in the cupboard, lest his companions should suddenly become possessed of the idea to indulge in these oily delicacies also.
During this time, and before the other feasters had exhausted the supply of nuts, he held the closet-door only partially open, determined to shut and lock it when his hunger was appeased, for he knew full well it would be but the work of a few seconds for the apes to clear everything from the shelves if they were given the opportunity.
But it was while taking the greatest precautions that he was in reality the most careless.
Having eaten enough he desired to quench his thirst, and to that end had broken the top from a bottle of wine, there being many cases in the cupboard. In the absence of a glass he was forced to use the bottle as a drinking-vessel, and to do so it was necessary to raise it above his head. He was thus obliged to turn partially around, forgetting the fact that he was exhibiting himself to the company.
Before his thirst was assuaged he had painful evidence of his indiscretion. In the twinkling of an eye every ape ceased cracking nuts and leaped toward the closet, while Philip, taken thus by surprise, had not time to shut the door. As a matter of course all the party could not come within reach of the cupboard at the same moment, but those in advance passed the wine-bottles to their companions in the rear until every monkey had enough of this unusual beverage to make him tipsy in short order.
As soon as possible Philip shut the cupboard-door; but it was a case of “locking the stable after the horse had been stolen,” and he looked around with dismay as he saw each of his long-tailed companionsholding a bottle to his mouth, evidently wondering how the stupid man could have found so much satisfaction in what was to them very dry fun.
The fact that they did not know enough to draw the corks caused him to hope none of the party would succeed in getting any liquor; but in this he was speedily disappointed.
It was one of Goliah’s advisers who, after watching Philip stealthily, had begun the rush for the bottles, and this old fellow knew exactly how their prisoner had set about extracting the contents.
The aged ape struck off the head of the bottle with a potato-masher which was on the table, and five minutes later the floor was strewn with broken glass, while every animal in the room except Goliah was busily engaged in making himself more brutish than nature intended.
Philip stood gazing at this apparently convivial company with dismay written on every feature of his countenance. If sober apes were disagreeable companions, what would be the result when he was surrounded by three or four hundred drunken animals? There could be no question but that they would be intoxicated when each had finished his bottle, and then the position of the captive, already disagreeable, must necessarily be increased a hundred-fold.
It was probably the silence of the feasters which aroused Goliah from his ginger-dream. He withdrew his head, plentifully besmeared with the saccharine liquid, to gaze stupidly about him, while pieces of thepreserves hung from his nose, ears and eyebrows in the most picturesque fashion. Gorged though he was, the sweet repast did not suffice when his followers had something different, and with one bound he leaped upon the smallest monkey-toper. To choke the astonished little reveler and wrest his bottle from him was but the work of a moment, and then the king of the island began his vinous portion of the feast.
Now, as if he had not already done himself sufficient injury, Philip speedily set the example of a yet more alarming phase in this monkey orgy.
Angry because of what he had unwittingly done he dashed his empty bottle against the cupboard-door.
This example was contagious. In another instant every ape was busily engaged in belaboring his companions with bottles, and fragments of glass flew in all directions.
Now, more than ever, was it difficult to leave the apartment. The hailstorm of glass was so thick as almost to obscure the vision, and Philip crouched behind the cooking-stove to protect himself from the flying particles.
Two seconds later a groan of horror burst from his lips, for every one of the half-drunken monkeys immediately conceived it necessary to do the same thing, and he was undermost in the living stack, each member of which continued to beat the other with such fragments of glass as had survived the first onslaught.
It seemed certain he would be crushed to death—crushed between two or three hundred quarts of wine encased in apes’ skins, and each of these animated bottles writhing, twisting and scratching to get undermost.
It was fully fifteen minutes before Philip could so far extricate himself as to be able once more to divert the attention of the party, and then he seized the first possible means of deliverance. Wresting a half-shattered bottle from the clutch of the nearest ape, he threw it toward the window, and, as a natural consequence, every monkey about him struggled to his feet that he might repeat the movement.
While this afforded him some slight relief, it was decidedly a dangerous experiment. The wine had begun its work, and the apes were now so thoroughly intoxicated as to have no idea of direction.
Instead of hurling the sharp fragments through the window, as Philip intended they should, the long-tailed drunkards threw them at the doors, the stove, or their companions, until one would have thought himself in a fierce storm, where hail-stones were replaced by glass.
To remain upright without great danger of being seriously wounded, if not killed, was impossible, and he who had begun this last and most dangerous amusement was forced to throw himself on the floor to avoid the flying particles.
Again did he witness another painful proof of an ape’s power of imitation. In a twinkling every animalin the room threw himself on the floor, and once more did Philip find himself the “under dog in the fight.”
He was wounded in numberless places from the claws of his companions or the fragments of glass, and yet, whether he arose or remained passive, there was still the sad satisfaction of knowing that it was he, and he alone, who set the fashion in this kingdom of apes.
It required ten minutes of difficult work before Philip could succeed in leaving the room where he had thoughtlessly done so much mischief, and then, with all the drunken apes close at his heels, he ran into the court-yard and threw himself on the bank of the tiny stream, so thoroughly disheartened as to be careless of what further trouble might come.
The scene which was presented under the awning during the next half-hour would have given a disinterested spectator no slight amount of amusement, but in Philip’s eyes it was too painful to admit of even a smile.
The party were seated as near the border of the pond as possible, and to have some idea of the picture the reader should multiply any grossly intoxicated person he has seen by about four hundred; but even then, and with the most vivid imagination, he could hardly do full justice to the spectacle.
They leered at each other, called names in the monkey language, very likely told improbable stories, and argued after the fashion of men. Here and there a party of a dozen were raising theirvoices in discordant notes, which was not unlike the maudlin singing of human beings. Now and then one would stagger back and forth in a vain attempt to get nearer the pond, while his companions did all in their power to keep him back. Then an ape, catching a glimpse of his own tail, and believing that it belonged to his neighbor, would seize and pull it until he literally overturned himself. If in falling he struck any other member of the party, an incipient riot was started, but not to continue very long, owing to the inebriated condition of all.
Those nearest the prisoner overwhelmed him with rough caresses, which at times threatened to leave him entirely bald, because of the desire to show affection by examining each particular hair on his head. If they had understood the custom and significance of hand-shaking, the animal-trainer’s troubles would have been much greater; but as it was, he had even more in the way of trials than could be borne with any respectable show of equanimity.
Taking the scene as a whole, and knowing exactly how these disagreeable companions had been made more brutish than was natural, it presented such a lesson as Philip must have profited by, for one cannot see even drunken men without realizing the beauties and benefits of temperance.
To move ever so slightly was to find the others doing the same thing, and Philip waited patiently throughout the whole of that long, dreary day, hoping his companions would soon be wrapped inslumber, when he might make his escape to the grotto.
But he waited in vain. At intervals certain members of the party would doze; but there was no moment when more than fifty were in a state even approaching unconsciousness, although the entire troop grew more quiet, if not more sober, when the shadows of night began to gather.
Probably no man ever so desired to escape observation as did Philip, when, just after sunset, he arose cautiously and made his way toward the kitchen in the hope of being able to penetrate that portion of the house, where he might find some degree of privacy. Surely, there should be a small apartment in which he could barricade himself, and it was with this in his mind that he entered the building.
Here, however, the gloom was already filling the room—for night in the tropics comes on very rapidly—rendering some artificial light necessary. With every reason to believe there might be lamps or candles in the cupboard he opened the door once more, closing it very suddenly as the entire body of apes rushed in, ready for any further mischief which might present itself.
Philip stood for an instant with his back to the closet, wondering if it would be safe to make any investigations while his companions were so near, and as he faced the party it was impossible to check his mirth despite all the reasons he had for sorrow.
The monkey-topers, now partially recovered fromthe effects of the wine, were looking thoroughly demoralized and repentant. Some were holding their paws to their heads as if to check the pain, while others appeared to be suffering most in the region of the stomach. The majority of the party yet walked unsteadily, and at short intervals squads of from ten to twenty would return to the pond in order to quench the unnatural thirst which was causing them to feel very wretched.
Under such a condition of affairs Philip believed that his followers were incapable of any serious mischief, and, holding the cupboard door only partially open, he reached inside for the purpose of providing himself with a light.
Again chance aided, and the apes outwitted him. His hand struck the lid of a box, and, displacing the cover, he found that it was filled with candles, while piled in one corner immediately behind it was a quantity of matches.
Now it became necessary to use both hands, and with one he extracted a candle from the box, while with the other he ignited the wick.
This movement necessarily prevented him from retaining his hold on the cupboard-door, and the half-sobered apes in the rear immediately seized upon the opportunity. Philip’s candle was but just lighted when with a rush they dashed into the closet, and behold! three hundred apes each with a candle and a package of matches, forming a cordon around Philip, and making the air heavy with brimstone as they rubbed the “fire-sticks” onthe doors, floor, stove, or more than once on their own hides. As Philip had done so did every ape in the room, and with the most alarming consequences. Now and then one less sober than his companions would ignite a full bunch of matches, much to his alarm and confusion. As a matter of course, such a blunderer immediately threw the blazing bits of wood to the floor, thereby causing the animal-trainer no slight fear, for it was impossible to say when the others might not do the same thing.
It seemed as if this was the culmination of all Philip’s troubles, for to place a match and candle in the hands of a sober ape is to supply the means of a conflagration, and what must be the result when these dangerous things are controlled by intoxicated brutes?
Philip’s first thought was to extinguish his own candle; but even while on the point of doing so it flashed into his mind that by causing the flame to disappear he might seem to have thrown it away, and then would ensue a scene similar to the one with the bottles, making the immediate destruction of the building inevitable.
It was plain that, having thus far committed himself to the necessity of artificial light, he must retain possession of it, and he made great show of holding it carefully in both hands—a movement which was at once imitated by the others, but not so cleverly as would have been the case under other circumstances.
The result of this precaution was that at least oneape out of every three burned his paws, while the other two singed their nearest neighbors until the odor of burning hair was almost stifling.
Now the room resounded with cries of pain, and those who had been burned belabored the party next to them, regardless of whether they had inflicted the injuries or not, until the entire throng were flogging each other with these tiny flames, scattering wicks and tallow in every direction, while the blazing of hair added to the general illumination.
Philip realized that something must be done immediately, and he forced his way out through the drunken crowd to the court-yard, going from there to the sitting-room with the intention of gaining the street.
The door to this last apartment was fastened, however, and in order to push back the bolts he placed his candle on the window-sill.
Before five seconds had elapsed every portion of the room was decorated with lighted candles, and for the time being all danger of a conflagration was averted, while the apes themselves gave evidence of being in some familiar place.
It was probable that Captain Seaworth had given a party, or sanctioned a gathering of his officers and the colonists, when the room had been illuminated after this same fashion, and equally probable that the apes were spectators, at some time in the past, of the scene from the outside.
They exchanged glances with each other, chatterednoisily, and gesticulated vigorously, while Philip stood gazing at them in amazement, wondering what new phase of danger he was about to encounter.
An instant later four or five, whose memory was better than their companions’, seized upon the musical instruments which hung on the wall and began striking the strings with both hands and feet, while the others, each with a partner, whirled, leaped and shouted as they went through with the movements of a dance. One couple would dart up and down the room, taking about four strides to cover the entire distance; another set circled around and around within a circumscribed space; and yet more stood bowing and scraping, until, had the scene been presented on the stage of a theater, it would have called forth the most generous applause.
Every detail of a ball-room was here depicted after a certain apish fashion, and the fact that at least half the company wore some portion of clothing lent a decided air of realism to the scene.
The amateur musicians were most industrious, and since their idea of perfect harmony was the greatest possible amount of noise, the result can be imagined. Their facilities for playing were much greater than man’s. For instance, a huge ape who had taken one of the banjos was seated on the floor holding it with his left foot, while the right and both hands were used to strike resounding blows on the strings. The performer on the guitar had pressed into service a small monkey as assistant, and while thelatter held the instrument above his head, the musician used hands and tail with which to draw forth wild and discordant strains.
Goliah had left the apartment immediately the dance began, and Philip’s idea was that he had simply gone to station sentinels around the building to prevent his escape; therefore he remained in one corner of the room, hidden as far as possible from the merry-makers, not daring to show the least desire to quit the scene of the festivities.
The remainder of the party did not appear to be at all disturbed by the absence of their leader. They waltzed, polkaed, bowed and promenaded, chatting gaily meanwhile; but after half an hour of this sport the greater number followed the big baboon’s example, until not more than twenty couples were left to go through the motions of keeping time to the discordant braying of the instruments.
If Philip deluded himself with the idea that they were growing tired, and that he would speedily find an opportunity of making his escape, he was mistaken.
In less than a quarter of an hour the outer doors were thrown open with a crash, and the animal-trainer looked up in astonishment to see entering the room what at first glance appeared to be a party of richly-dressed ladies and gentlemen.
There were half a hundred apes wearing muslin, silk and calico dresses; some with shawls, others with bonnets, and not a few carrying gloves in theirhands, all attended by male escort clad in a variety of costumes.
It was Goliah who led this brilliant party, and leaning on his arm, but looking terrified, was Sweet Alice, who had evidently been forced by the baboon to take part in the merry-making while her mate remained a prisoner in the cage.
After what Philip had already witnessed there was no trouble in divining where these costumes had come from. The memory of a similar scene, when the colonists had appeared dressed in their best, was probably so vivid in the minds of the apes that the houses of the settlement had been immediately ransacked for a supply of finery.
Had Philip been able to so far disassociate himself from the painful fact that he was a captive, and become once more a student of natural history, he would have received a most interesting lesson regarding the point where instinct ceases and mental effort begins.
Up to this time those of the apes who had once been articles of merchandise in Philip Garland’s establishment gave no signs of remembering their past treatment, and he congratulated himself, even amid his troubles, that they did not take it into their apish heads to put him through the same course of training as he formerly practiced.
This lack of memory was only temporary, however, as he soon had the best of reasons to know, and never did a man repent more bitterly his attempts at animal-training than Philip on this eventful evening, while his long-tailed hosts were indulging in the gayeties of a ball.
The sport was at its height. The partially-clad apes were whirling around the room, evidently enjoying the dance as much as ever their masters and mistresses did; and Philip stood in one corner, hidden by the throng, watching for an opportunity to make his escape through one of the half-opened windows leading to the front veranda. He believed the apes had for the time being forgotten him, but in this he made a sad mistake.
Suddenly a large monkey, who had formed a partof the collection sold to Captain Seaworth’s officers, came close to his old master. Philip recognized him as one whom he had taught, after much labor and many blows, to play the banjo, and from the expression of the animal’s face he understood that further trouble for himself was near at hand.
The monkey scanned him so long and intently that half a score of the dancers ceased their sport and gathered around, full of curiosity to learn what was to be done with this specimen of the human tribe.
It was as if the animal had tried to attract the attention of his comrades. When there was a sufficient number around to prevent any possibility of the animal-trainer’s escape, the monkey went to that portion of the room where one of the banjos was hanging, and, taking down the instrument, thrust it into Philip’s hands as he uttered a hoarse cry in a commanding voice.
At this moment the other members of the company who had formerly belonged to Philip’s establishment gathered around in high glee, and there could be no mistake as to their intentions. As the animal-trainer had taught his articles of merchandise, so now they were going to teach him, and the lesson would unquestionably be painful as well as humiliating.
For an instant Philip’s pride prevented him from playing the part of musician to the monkey-dancers, and he shook his head as if to say it was impossible. Almost at the same moment he regretted having refused,for the monkey immediately struck him across the face with the instrument, dealing such a blow as sent the unfortunate captive staggering back against the wall.
Again was the punishment about to be repeated, but before the blow could be delivered Philip suddenly remembered how to play, and, swallowing his pride as best he could, took the banjo, running his fingers lightly across the strings.
At this new phase in the game of monkey-turned-trainer Goliah joined the party, and his memory proved to be even more perfect than that of the others.
It had been Philip’s greatest achievement in the education of these animals to form a trio, each ape performing on a different instrument; and in order that the picture should be correct, Goliah called two of those who were playing for the dancers to range themselves on either side of his late master.
Thus behold the youth whose proudest boast had been that he could train any animal, however ferocious, seated between two enormous baboons, strumming on a banjo as if his very life depended upon the amount of noise produced.
It is not necessary to say that this was no enjoyment to him; but it certainly was to the remainder of the party, and they grinned and chattered their approbation of the scene, while the one who had first started the sport stood directly behind the musician, armed with a long stick.
The unfortunate captive jangled the strings withoutregard to harmony, and fondly fancied that this was the lowest humiliation he would be forced to bear. But his genial captors had a different opinion regarding the matter.
One of the party whom Philip had taught to climb a pole now seemed to enter into conversation with Goliah—who shall say that apes cannot talk?—and a few moments later he and two others left the apartment.
Philip was playing industriously to save his back from the shower of blows which descended at the slightest diminution of noise, when the three animals returned with a long, stout pole, and the musician dropped his instrument, literally dazed with fear and bewilderment, for now he understood what further sport he would be expected to make for the entertainment of this long-tailed party.
Was he to be called upon to perform every trick which had been taught in his emporium of wild animals? If such should prove to be the case, three days would hardly suffice in which to display all the varied accomplishments he had prided himself upon teaching, and in that time his exertions might prove fatal.
Cold streams of perspiration ran down his face, although the ball-room was far from being warm, at the bare idea of the brutish part he was called upon to perform.
The pole was there, however, and Goliah’s two old counselors stood close behind the prisoner, armed with long, pliant bamboos. Philip understoodonly too well the purpose for which these whip-like sticks had been brought.
There was no mistaking the gestures with which they commanded the prisoner to climb the pole, and from the ingenious way of keeping it upright one would have fancied they had often performed the same feat for their own amusement.
Five or six of the smaller apes seated themselves on the floor, holding the pole at the base. Those of intermediate height grasped it with their hands a few inches from the bottom; while the tallest—which were the baboons and mandrills—threw their gigantic arms above the others, and planted their feet as props beyond the lower class.
Goliah advanced toward the captive with an imperious air as he pointed to the pole and then to the sticks held by the aged apes. Philip understood that it would not be wise to hesitate much longer. In fact he received an immediate and decided incentive to obey.
Just as he was balancing himself preparatory to swinging over the living pedestal, one of Goliah’s advisers struck him two severe blows, which had the desired effect.
Enraged, but yet fully realizing the danger of allowing his anger to display itself, he leaped forward and commenced climbing.
Although he may have been a thoroughly good teacher, it was not possible for him to practice gracefully that which he taught; and despite his most frantic efforts to ascend beyond reach of the bamboopoles which the old apes kept constantly in motion, he could not succeed in climbing more than a few feet above the heads of those who held the pole. He would clamber up five or six inches, only to slip back the same distance, or further, and all the while the lower portion of his body was a fair target for his tormentors.
He now deeply regretted ever having attempted to train a monkey to climb a pole, and still more bitter were his regrets that he had used for this purpose a stout whip with which to belabor his pupils exactly as they were now belaboring him.
The sport of dancing was entirely forgotten in this new amusement, and each member of the party seemed to think it the height of pleasure to aid Goliah’s counselors in their efforts to make matters lively for the animal-trainer.
He climbed and slipped back, raising himself as the blows grew more furious, and then, despite all efforts, fell on the heads of those who were holding the instrument of torture. His trousers and coat were torn almost to tatters, and his skin scratched and bleeding. He was literally in rags before a quarter of an hour had elapsed, and so thoroughly exhausted as to be on the point of rebelling, regardless of the severe punishment which would inevitably follow, when a lucky accident put an end to this form of misery.
Under the incentive of blows more severe than the preceding ones, he leaped upward and at the same time sideways, grasping the pole higher thanbefore. By this means his weight was thrown at an angle, and the timber gave way in the middle.
The most comical antics of a clown in a circus would not have called forth such applause as that which greeted Philip when he fell bruised and bleeding upon the floor, while the entire company, even those who were clad in the greatest profusion of fineries, had a jolly game of leap-frog over his prostrate body.
For a moment he fancied this signal failure would cause his tormentors to relinquish the one-sided sport; but he forgot that among the animals sold to Captain Seaworth was his most accomplished pupil, who was now burning with a desire to do his share toward training the teacher.
Philip had remained as he fell, with his face buried in his arms to shield it from blows, when a vicious switch across the back caused him to look up.
He saw before him his talented pupil, for whom he had received an extra price because of the proficiency gained, comically scratching his thigh, capering in the air, thrusting his tongue out in a mocking fashion, and then whirling about on his head with both feet spread apart like a bent fork. In fact this extremely lively animal was repeating all the grimaces and contortions which had been instilled into his memory with so many blows of the whip.
This part of the monkey’s performance was evidently for the benefit of the spectators as well as Philip. He continued it several moments, and then, bowing as he had been taught to do when receivingapplause, stood still, making the most imperative gestures to the prostrate youth.
Philip had climbed the pole because of the blows he had received, and also because such a feat was, to a certain degree, within his power; but to stand on his head and whirl around like a live teetotum was impossible. He covered his face with his arms and remained motionless.
This immobility did not continue but a few seconds, for a hoarse scream from Goliah caused half a dozen of the apes to beat his body as if it had been a drum, until, knowing he would be pounded to a jelly should he continue to disobey, he arose to his feet like one who had already tasted the horrors of the whipping-post.
Never before did an unwilling performer have such an attentive and at the same time odd-looking audience. Under other circumstances Philip would have been convulsed with laughter at the scene presented in this drawing-room; but just now it was anything rather than comical, and sorrow instead of mirth was imprinted upon his face. He, the redoubtable trainer of animals, was about to attempt a handspring for a party of apes, baboons, mandrills and monkeys!
Hardly knowing how to begin, he stood for a moment hesitating; but the same means which had been employed to assist him in climbing the pole was brought into requisition, until his limbs and back felt as if they had been treated to a bath of fire.
Then the talented monkey turned one more somersault in front of Philip and stood in an expectant attitude. There was no question but that he intended the performance should be repeated, and the unfortunate youth did his best to obey. He turned a somersault, and at the same time twisted his spinal column until there was every reason to believe it was dislocated.
Then the instructor stood on his head, and Philip was obliged to attempt the same maneuver, but only to fail utterly. As a reward for his awkwardness the bamboo sticks once more descended in a shower.
To relate all the misery and sorrows of the hour which followed would be to tell one long tale of woe. Suffice it to say that as far as possible the animal-trainer copied the movements of the demon-like monkey in front of him. He jumped through hoops, blew kisses to the audience, went around hat in hand begging for money, and realized, as never before, how much labor his pupils had been forced to perform.
As he had shown anger when they failed, and treated them with liberal doses of the whip, so did they give the same token of displeasure because of his awkward movements.
This painful and humiliating performance might have continued until it became literally an impossibility for Philip to raise either a hand or foot, had it not been for an unexplained diversion.
He was thoroughly exhausted. It seemed that not even once more could he go through the semblance of repeating his instructor’s example, and he believed that the time had come when his career on this earth would be ended forever, under the castigation of the apes. At this supreme moment a sudden uproar in the adjoining apartment caused the spectators in this new school of ground and lofty tumbling to rush helter-skelter from the place ofamusement, and to his most intense relief the unhappy captive was left alone.
Bruised, bleeding and exhausted as he was, nothing save the knowledge of his imminent peril could have induced him to so much as raise a hand. Now, however, it was absolutely necessary, in order to save his life, that he leave the village, and, limping painfully, he made his way through the window to the street.
In which direction the grotto lay he had no idea, because of the bewilderment that had come upon him during the past hour, and it was only possible to rush blindly forward into the jungle, taking no heed of his steps save that each one carried him further away from the scene of his humiliation and punishment.
Stumbling, falling, rising only to fall again, he pushed on amid the tangled foliage, nerved to almost superhuman exertions by the knowledge of what his fate might be in case an escape was not effected.
In this manner, hardly knowing whether he continued in a straight course or moved in a circle, he managed to press forward until the underbrush became more sparse, and hope again sprung up in his heart. He supposed he had arrived at the banana grove, where it was possible to procure food, and from whence he would have but little difficulty in finding the grotto.
But for the fact that the events and ill-treatment of the evening had dazed him, he would have exercised more care while traveling over an unknowncountry. As it was, however, he walked blindly on, until he found himself sinking amid the slime and water of a jungle marsh.
That which he had mistaken for the banana plantation was one of those open morasses so frequent in this portion of the globe; and as the cold water flowed around his aching body he realized the danger in which he had thus incautiously placed himself.
In attempting to raise his feet and scramble back to more solid earth he sunk the deeper, and then reason gave way to fear.
He knew that any effort on his part would make the situation more dangerous; but this was forgotten in the frenzy which came upon him.
At the first plunge the water had only been within a few inches of his knees; in five minutes it was at his waist, his lower limbs being so imprisoned that any further movement of his feet was impossible.
Now came a new cause for alarm. He had felt himself growing weak for several moments, but believing the faintness was caused by exertions made during his rapid flight he paid no attention to the fact until, when held prisoner by the mud, he discovered that his hands, face and neck were covered with what at first glance appeared to be small caterpillars, dark brown in color and striped with vivid yellow.
Under the most favorable circumstances they were disgusting-looking creatures; but now, whenby reason of his dangerous position every disagreeable object was magnified, they seemed positively repulsive. He attempted to brush away three or four which had fastened on the back of his hand, and to his mingled surprise and horror they clung the tighter.
Taking hold of one with his thumb and finger he was forced to use no slight amount of strength in removing it, and then a cry of terror burst from his lips as he discovered that the repulsive thing was sucking his blood.
He was covered with forest-leeches, which had attached themselves to him during his flight through the woods, and his sudden and excessive weakness arose from the enormous quantities of life-blood which they had drained from his veins. For the instant his dangerous predicament was forgotten in this new cause for alarm, and during five minutes he paid but little attention to the fact that he was sinking deeper and deeper into the mire while pulling the tiny vampires from his flesh.
Once these pests were removed, however, all the horrors of his situation came upon him with redoubled force.
He was alone in a swamp, which continued to engulf him despite all efforts, and it seemed certain that life, so painful but a short time previous, was about to be extinguished.
However much one may wish for the approach of death, he instinctively struggles against it when the summons comes. So it was with Philip. An hourago suffocation in the marsh would have seemed preferable to the dangers by which he was surrounded; and yet, when the supreme moment was so near at hand, the desire for life became strong once more.
Any efforts of his were useless, and to summon aid would be to call around him the enemies from whom he had been endeavoring to escape; but now that it was a question of life or death, he did not hesitate.
Again and again he cried for help, knowing that if his words were not understood, those who had probably been sent in search of him would be attracted to the spot by his voice. The exertion necessary to make this appeal caused him to sink deeper and deeper in the treacherous mud, but he continued to shout until the rustling of foliage warned him that help, even though attended by danger, was at hand.
He expected to see the grinning face of Goliah or some of his adherents, and even these would have been welcome; but to his inexpressible delight it was the faithful chimpanzee who had responded to his cry for help.
Alice recognized his danger at once, and wasted no time in investigations. With one paw clutching the trunk of a tree, which grew on solid ground, she extended the other to him, and he grasped it with the same desperate energy that a drowning man does the plank pushed out to save him from death.
His own strength would have been insufficient to release him from the predicament, for the mire had a hold stronger than human hands; but his rescuer was powerful of limb, and, as he clutched her wrist with both hands, she drew him safely to the shore.
It was several moments before he was able to make any movement toward leaving the place, and during all this while Alice intimated, by the expression of her face as well as by her gestures of anxiety, that he should follow her.
When he had partially recovered from the exhaustion superinduced by his flight and subsequent struggles, Philip motioned for the chimpanzee to proceed, and at a rapid pace she led him through the jungle in, as he thought, the direction of the grotto.
Only once during this fatiguing journey did the animal halt, and then it was before a bubbling spring which, singularly enough in a land of luxuriant vegetation, stood in a space of at least a hundred square yards whereon not so much as a blade of grass was growing.
To find on this island such an arid spot caused Philip surprise, even though he was so distressed both in body and mind; but he was not in a condition to search for the cause, and would have passed by without halting, motioning to Alice that he was not thirsty, if she by her gestures had not insisted on his taking note of the water.
Thinking the best way to satisfy her would be to raise a few drops to his lips, he dipped his hand inthe spring. Instead of feeling the grateful contact of cool liquid upon his flesh, it seemed as if he had touched diluted lye. It was slightly warm, not of a very pleasant odor, and as he attempted to rub the moisture from his fingers a lather like that made by soap was produced.
For an instant he was at a loss to understand the meaning of this apparent phenomenon, and then came the thought that he had heard his friend, Captain Seaworth, speak of these soap-springs to be found in the Malay Archipelago. It was a discovery which he welcomed quite as gladly as though it had been pure water and he half-famished with thirst.
Hastily throwing off his clothes he plunged to the neck in the soapy liquid, and never before was a bath more refreshing to a weary mortal.
Lathering his flesh again and again, he washed away all traces of his plunge in the swamp, and after rubbing himself thoroughly, felt that delicious sense of cleanliness which is so refreshing. The only difficulty was to rid himself of the soapy substance, for however often he might plunge beneath the surface the foam would appear every time he passed his hand over his flesh, and it was only when in a partial state of dryness that he put on his clothes once more, making gestures to the chimpanzee that he was ready to continue the journey.
Although monkeys are not supposed to wash themselves, it was quite evident she knew the properties of this water—perhaps from seeing someof the colonists use it—and Philip could not fail to wonder at the intelligence she displayed.
After half an hour’s rapid traveling the astonishment of the fugitive can be imagined when, instead of arriving at the grotto, he found himself inside the village.
This was the one spot of all others on the island which he wished to avoid, and to the utmost of his ability he represented by gesture that it was in the highest degree dangerous for him to go near Goliah.
Had Alice been able to speak his language she could not have replied more expressively. By her movements he was made to understand that his former place of hiding was known to the huge baboon, and that it would be possible to secrete himself only in the very midst of his enemies.
“What matters it?” he said to himself. “The chimpanzee can lead me into no greater danger than that to which I have already been exposed, and I will follow her as confidently as I would a human being.”
Then he motioned Alice to proceed, and she led the way, much to his surprise, directly through the main street of the settlement, where not a single ape, monkey or baboon was to be seen.
Probably all had gone in search of him, and, knowing this, Alice had formed her plans accordingly. She went directly to the house which he had just left, and opened the door of the reception-room where he had experienced so much humiliation and pain.
Then, as if to say that her continued absence might excite suspicion, she motioned to the doors and wooden shutters of the windows as if advising that they be closed, and left him to his own reflections.
The behavior of the chimpanzee, as well as his own good common sense, which he had had time to recover since the adventure in the marsh, told Philip that it would be useless longer to fly from his enemies. He was in a building constructed with especial reference to safety from outside foes, and by barricading himself in the series of rooms which led from the kitchen to the parlor he might be able to stand a siege of many days.
It is true he had no reason to expect aid, since it seemed most likely Captain Seaworth’s party had been massacred; but yet time to wait for the coming of human companions was the one thing desired, and to such end he made every preparation.
On this, as well as on the other side of the building, each window had heavy wooden shutters which could be closed from the inside, and the doors were sufficiently stout to resist any attack which might be made by the apes. As a matter of course, a determined body of men with the proper tools could soon effect an entrance; but it was hardly probable the animals would be able to break in after the place was once properly fortified.
Philip understood that there was no time to belost, for at any moment Goliah and his forces might return. Therefore his first act was to shut and barricade the three doors leading to the veranda. Then the heavy shutters of the windows were closed and bolted, half a dozen candles were lighted, and the fortification was as nearly complete as he could make it.
He now experienced a sense of security such as had not visited him since the moment when he was thrown upon these inhospitable shores. There was on hand sufficient food to last a long time, and he felt safe from any immediate danger.
The one thing needful at this moment was slumber, and with a mind free from apprehensions he made up such a bed in the dining-room as even a less weary youth would not have disdained, closing his eyes in peaceful sleep almost instantly after lying down.
He awakened in a calmer frame of mind than he had known since the time when the good bark Swallow first encountered the gale, and was fully alive to all the possibilities of his situation. He had no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that so long as he was destined to remain on the island he would be exposed to a vengeance worse than death at the hands of those whom he had once treated as articles of merchandise. At present he believed himself to be perfectly secure; but as a matter of course, if he should dare to venture forth it would be to become the object of renewed attacks, which very likely would end only in his death.
It was with such thoughts that his mind was occupied as he took from the kitchen cupboard a fresh supply of candles to replace those long since consumed, and then examined his miniature fortress to see if there was any vulnerable point of attack which he had overlooked.
There was a second story, and through this it might be possible the apes could effect an entrance, therefore he lost no time in examining the upper portion of his refuge.
The rooms above were of the same size as those on the ground-floor; but directly over the corner was a small bell-tower open on all four sides, and entered by a trap-door. This last was secured by two iron bolts which shut into mortices in the main timbers of the building, and, as he believed, were sufficiently strong to resist any ordinary attack.
It was in this corner apartment over the parlor that Captain Seaworth had established his private office, and, strange to say, it had thus far escaped the observation of the apes. Everything was in the most complete order. The books, papers and boxes which filled the shelves on either side were as the commander of the ill-fated colony had left them. On the writing-desk lay an unfinished letter to the stockholders of the corporation, probably abandoned when the writer was called upon to resist this army of apes.
It was not necessary for Philip to close the heavy window-shutters, for they were already bolted, and in each was a sort of Venetian blind about fourinches square, which permitted a view of the surrounding country while the spectator remained hidden.
Before examining further Philip looked from these loop-holes, and to his dismay saw that he was already besieged.
At every point of vantage on the outside his enemies were posted. On the elevations of land in the immediate vicinity, the branches of the trees, and even the tops of the surrounding buildings, were groups of apes, who watched this portion of the house as if understanding that in it was hidden the human animal from whom they expected such rare entertainment or revenge.
There could be no question but that they were on thequi vive, and at the slightest movement of their captive would begin an attack. It was the silent siege of an enemy who did not consider it necessary to conceal himself behind his lines of defense.
Philip viewed the scene much as does a general when surveying a battle-field. For the apes to climb up the sides of the house, whereon were no projecting points, he knew was an impossibility, as it also was for them to effect an entrance through the barricaded doors and windows. To reach the tower from the adjoining buildings would not be difficult for such agile climbers; but once there their opportunities for attack would be no better than on the street below.
That Goliah was preparing for battle seemed hardly probable, since it is not generally believedthat animals know anything concerning warfare; but yet he was certainly bringing up his troops in the most soldier-like fashion. From the loop-holes Philip could see company after company marching to this point or that in regular order; and no less than twenty of the larger baboons, each wearing a saber by his side, were making regular rounds of the clearing, as if inspecting the troops.
To give it more the appearance of a regular siege, only certain of these long-tailed warriors were on watch, the others remaining close at hand in readiness to open the battle at the first warning cry. These idle ones were amusing themselves in a variety of ways. Some were wrestling, others playing leap-frog, and not a few apparently interested in story-telling—at least so it seemed to Philip in this latter case, for parties of from fifteen to twenty were gathered around some venerable monkey who appeared to be talking very earnestly.
Now and then Goliah would harangue the troops in the same manner as he had addressed those composing the court-martial, and that he was making direct reference to the house and its occupant could be told from the fact that he frequently pointed to those on guard as well as to the building, finally going through a series of threatening gestures, as if explaining what he proposed to do when the time for action should come.
But for Philip’s knowledge of how nearly apes can copy the movements of men he would have laughed at the baboons’ antics; but yet he could notbring himself to believe his fortifications were in danger of being carried, or that the enemy would make any real assault.
It seemed only reasonable to suppose the brutes would not continue very long a siege which he could well sustain, according to the contents of his larder, for many weeks; therefore, being tranquil in mind, he could afford to examine leisurely his place of refuge.
A search resulted in his finding quite as much food for the mind as for the body, which was a great boon, considering the length of time he might be confined in this limited space. The apartment directly over the kitchen had been fitted up as a library and lounging-room, probably for the benefit of Captain Seaworth’s officers, and here was a collection of books of travel.
In such an out-of-the-way corner of the world these silent companions would be of the utmost value even in the case of those who enjoyed freedom of action, but to Philip in his present condition they were rare treasures.
His investigations in this quarter were ended for the time being, and descending to the kitchen, he made such a breakfast of canned provisions as was in the highest degree satisfactory, washing it down with moderate draughts of light wine. Then he betook himself once more to Captain Seaworth’s private office in the hope of finding something which would give him a clew to the reasons why the island had thus been left to Goliah and his followers.
A single written line indicating a combined attack of the apes would explain why a large body of men had been overcome by the animals; yet, armed as the colonists undoubtedly were, able to shelter themselves behind the walls of the buildings, it did not seem as if any number of the monkey-tribe could vanquish such a force as he knew had made their headquarters on this island.
Yet it appeared as if such must have been the case, and Philip searched among the papers in the hope of solving the riddle.
There were statements of moneys paid to the laborers, a detailed account of the erection of all the buildings, together with mention of the time occupied in unloading the vessel, dates as to when the crops had been planted, memoranda to show what portion of the jungle was intended should be cleared, and in fact all the minutiæ of the business connected with establishing the colony, but no word relative to such enemies as Philip had encountered.
Not until he was about to abandon the search did he find that for which he sought. A large book lying carelessly at one side of the room had hitherto escaped his observation because it seemed to be of little importance, and he opened it without any idea that it might be the document for which he had been hunting so eagerly.
The first page was sufficient to arrest his attention, for on it was written, in bold letters, and in round, clear characters:
Log of the ship Reynard, and Journal of my stay at Luzon.
Here was what Philip had been most anxious to find, and without thought of the grinning faces which were keeping close watch over the building he seated himself in an arm-chair, believing the mystery was about to be solved.