reach the Big Pass before he
starved. Surely, up there it would be different; they always had rain,
and if he could only hold out.... A snuff-like dust constantly rose
from the decayed vegetation; it pained his nostrils, and he muffled
his face in his head-cloth as he penetrated deeper into the jungle. He
must reach a clearing before night; it would mean almost certain death
to sleep in the jungle's poisonous atmosphere. There was a good spot
further up, and he worked his way toward it, determined to reach it
for his first night. The liana-vine that he cut for water was dry. He
listened for the trickle of a brook. The jungle is usually full of
little streams, but no sound rewarded his vigilance. Stumbling along,
he began to think his journey would end there, when he was startled by
loud chattering. A monkey settlement was evidently near, and he knew
by their liveliness that they were not famishing for water. Spurred
on by hope, he redoubled his efforts and was rewarded by the sight
of a cocoanut grove in a clearing.

There was a general protest from the inhabitants as he made his
appearance, but he paid no attention to the monkey insults hurled at
him and gratefully picked up the cocoanuts with which they bombarded
him. Shaking each one, he tossed it from him. They were all dry. The
monkeys were too clever to waste any nuts that had milk in them. Piang
tied his feet together loosely with his head-cloth, and, using it as
a brace, hopped up one of the trees as easily as a monkey. Sitting
in the branches, he drained one cocoanut after another, and when his
thirst was slaked, he amused himself by returning the bombardment. He
was surrounded by monkey snipers and he laughingly rubbed his head
where one of their shots had struck home. With careful aim he showered
the trees, and gradually the monkeys began to disperse. He had won;
the fun was over. He watched them scold and fuss as they retreated
into the jungle, regretting that he had not kept them with him a
little longer for company.

The big sun was dipping into the trees now, and he descended to gather
material for his bed. High up in the cocoanut-tree Piang built his
couch. He selected two trees that were close together, and, cutting
strips of ratan, bound stalks of bamboo together making a platform
which he lashed to the trees, far out of reach of night prowlers. He
dipped into his scanty provisions, and then, scrambling to his nest,
covered himself with palm branche