CHAPTER XIV.
Sosee was led back to the settlement of the Lali, where she was the admiration of all the Apes. Her bright face, her beautiful form, and her shapely limbs fixed the attention of old and young. Her captors were particularly proud and received the congratulations of all the rest, who had now returned from the pursuit of the fugitives.
Oboo alone was unhappy. He was disappointed, both because he did not capture the girl, and because another did. One’s loss is greatest when it is another’s gain. He had visions of love which he must now exchange for those of jealousy. Quick to conceive a fancy he was slow to give it up. Started on a pursuit of love, he was never satisfied till he had achieved a success. And, to make his condition worse, the woman Oola, in whose charge Orlee had been given, and to whom Oboo had been making love, flew into a rage because he had allowed Orlee to escape.
“I am now wholly without a child,” she said; “you are no ape, to fail to overtake a boy encumbered with a girl. You sought my love only to betray me, and now I am without either lover or child; for with you I will have nothing more to do. You care less for me than for the girl whom you followed, instead of my child. If you ever make a soft face at me again, I will scratch out your eyes. I have lost everything through your unmonkey-like conduct.”
Oboo had not much to say, for he could not talk anything well except love, and that he could not talk in company. So he took her reproaches, but felt humiliated; and his embarrassment was increased by the raillery of the others, who said he could love but could not run, and that in the tussle with the girl, he had been beaten. They were so merry at his expense, all the company joining in, that he got his “monkey up,” and, becoming enraged, vented his ill humor on Ilo, the successful ape, who had brought back Sosee.
“You could not have caught her,” he said, “if I had not driven her into your arms.”
“You would never drive a girl into another’s arms, if you could avoid it,” replied Ilo; at which the company chattered merrily their assent.
“I should have caught her,” he said “had you not interfered. She was already mine, and you only took after her after she was captured.”
“I suppose,” replied the other, “you would like to have her, now that you have lost the old woman.”
“I am entitled to her,” he said, “and I shall take her from you.”
“You could not keep her when you had her,” replied Ilo; “and do you expect to both take her from me and keep her yourself?”
“You got her by chance, and could not help taking her when she ran into your arms.”
“I notice, however, that you did not take her when she ran into your arms,” was the reply.
“I will show you,” said Oboo, “that I can take her from both herself and her captor;” at which he seized the girl, and was about to lead her away, when the other dealt him a severe blow.
This was the signal for a great fight. Oboo sprang at the assailant, striking him with hand and foot. The latter then flew at Oboo with both hands, seizing him by the neck. There was now a hand to hand struggle, in which Oboo tried to punch the stomach of his rival, while the latter tried to throw Oboo to the ground. Oboo with his great jaws seized the shoulder of Ilo, who, in turn, dealt Oboo a blow with the other hand, and then bit off his ear. They now fought with both hands and feet and jaws, and the region round about echoed with their growls. Oboo was finally thrown to the ground, when the other jumped upon him, and nearly beat out his breath. As often as he tried to rise the other knocked him down, and sat upon him. The victory was evidently with Ilo, and Oboo would have fared worse had not the woman, who really started the quarrel, now interfered to end it. She took the part of herquondamlover, for whom she discovered a lingering affection, as soon as she saw that he was likely to be slain. She growled andseized the victorious ape, and, after a little struggle between the three, Oboo was allowed to get up and walk away. Too weak to fight and too cross not to, he gave some savage growls as he retreated, and threatened to whip his contestant and take away the girl at another time.
Oboo felt that this was an inglorious day for him—to lose two lovers and get one thrashing. He had, however, only himself to blame. He persisted in making love when he should have been watching a captive. He failed to catch either a young man or a young girl, and when the latter ran into his arms, he failed to retain her, but got worsted in the struggle which ensued; and when he finally would avenge his failures on a more successful ape, he was ingloriously beaten. He therefore lost prestige, military and social, for which he said all the Apes would have to suffer. He was more angry after his fights than in them, so that his rage came at a time when it could not serve him. Monkeys, like men, are more angry at others for their own failures than for anything else, and so Oboo determined to avenge his own blunders on others.
The only one who showed him any sympathy was the woman Oola, who got him into all his trouble. She indicated a willingness to take him back into favor. But Oboo was too cross to entertain proposals even of love, and he went grumbling away, like Achilles, to meditate mischief and make himself more miserable.