that he could knock him down again with the butt end of his pistol, but
if he did he would only hasten his own destruction, as the others would
quickly find means to get hold of him. He felt that the black was close
under him. He caught sight of his woolly pate working its way through,
the leaves. "Now or never," thought Jack. He seized the unsuspecting
ape, and threw him down directly on the negro's head. The monkey, as
much astonished as anybody, laid hold of the woolly crop with his claws,
and scratched and bit, chattering away with all his might.

"Fetish! fetish! fetish!" screamed out the negro, sliding down the tree
a great deal faster than he had come up, coming down the latter part by
the run, and reaching the ground more dead than alive; while the monkey
clambered up again, and, not daring to approach Jack, took his seat at
the end of a bough, chattering away in the greatest state of agitation.

Jack lay snug. He had hopes that none of the other blacks would attempt
to climb the tree after the reception their companion had met with; and
from what he heard them say he had great hopes that they really believed
they had seen a fetish. The Spaniards too, though pretending to laugh
at the superstition of the negroes, having no real religion of their own
to supply its place, were very strongly impressed with the black man's
superstition, and would on no account have attempted to climb up the
tree. Jack therefore began to hope that he should escape from his
intending murderers, and he did not despair of ultimately getting back
to his ship.

In a short time the Spaniards and negroes, uttering loud oaths at their
ill luck in having lost one of their companions as well as their
captive, set off once more; and Jack watched them as they worked their
way through the brushwood to the eastward. He felt truly glad when they
were no longer to be seen. He was now also in a hurry to be off.
"Good-bye, Mr Quacko," said he, turning to the monkey, and making him a
profound bow, for Jack was the pink of politeness. "I am much obliged
to you for the accommodation your tree has afforded me, and for the
assistance you have rendered me, and if you will ever venture afloat I
shall be very happy to see you on board our ship. Good-bye, old fellow,
give us a paw." He felt in a curiously excited state, and ready to talk
any nonsense. Quacko, who thought he was to have some more biscuit,
came near, but when he saw that there wa