nd
mutilated to a lingering death.

He thought this as they stood listening to the cries of the birds,
harsh, powerful, and echoing as they rang out in all directions.

"Not the kind o' bird as I should choose for his singing, eh, Billy?"
said Smith, suddenly breaking the silence of the gloomy spot.

"Well, no, Tommy, can't say as I should either for the sake o' the
moosic, but there's a deal o' body in it."

"I wish we could get hold of something with some body in it that we
should care to eat."

"There's a something upon that tree yonder, sir," said Smith, "one o'
them little black boy chaps. See him, sir?"

"I can," whispered Drew. "It's quite a large monkey."

"He'd eat good, wouldn't he, sir?" said Wriggs.

"Yes, for cannibals," said Oliver, shortly, as he took out his double
glass and focussed it upon a black face peering round a tall, smooth
trunk, quite a hundred feet from the ground. "Look, there's another.
But time's running on. Hadn't we better get back into a more open part
and begin collecting?"

"If you wish me to die of starvation," said Panton. "I can't work
without food."

"Then for goodness' sake let's get on," said Oliver, pettishly, and he
hurried beneath the tree where the first monkey had been seen, and as he
passed a good-sized piece of stick whizzed by his ear and struck the
ground.

"See that, Billy?" said Smith.

"Ah, I see it."

"Lucky for that little nigger as they're a good-hearted Christian sort
o' gentlemen. If they warn't he'd go home to his messmates peppered all
over with shot, and feelin' like a sore currant dumpling."

Another half-hour was passed of what Oliver dubbed the most aggravating
natures for beautiful specimens of bird, insect, flower, and mineral
abounded, while the whole of their attention had to be devoted to
providing food.

"I don't believe there are any deer to be had," he cried at last, and
then he stopped short in the sunny grove, where they had halted to take
a few minutes' rest. "What's that?"

"I was going to ask you," said Panton.

For the peculiar noise they had heard upon a former occasion came from a
short distance away, deep-toned, soft, and musical, as if a tyro were
practising one note upon a great brass instrument.

"Quick, come on," whispered Oliver, excitedly, and leading the way he
signed to his companions to come on abreast, and in this form they went
on cautiously in the direction of the sound, till Drew suddenly took a