found a branch of liana, when he would let go, and bring himself up
again by that wonderful member of his, and skip away to a distance from
his playmate, who might attempt to retaliate. If one happened for an
instant to be sitting quietly on a sipo, or gently winging backwards and
forwards, another was sure to come behind him and pull his tail, or give
him a twitch on the ear, and then throw himself off the sipo out of the
other's reach, holding on, however, firmly enough by his long appendage.
One big fellow came creeping up thus behind another, and gave him a sly
pinch on the neck. So funny was the face which the latter made as he
turned round and lifted up his paw to give the other a box on the ear,
that Arthur and I burst into fits of laughter. This startled the whole
flock, who peered about them, skipping here and there, chattering to
each other, as if to inquire the cause of the strange sounds which had
reached their ears. At length one, bolder than the rest, creeping near,
caught sight of us, when back he went to communicate the intelligence to
his companions. A hurried consultation was evidently held by them, and
then more came to look down at us, keeping wisely in the upper branches.
We tried to be silent; but so extraordinary were the grimaces they made
with their funny little white physiognomies, that we again burst into
shouts of laughter, in which True joining with a loud bark, off
scampered the monkeys, whisking their long tails, along the sipos and
branches, till they were hid from sight, although we could still hear
their chattering in the distance. I could not have had the heart to
fire at such frolicsome creatures, even had we been more pressed for
food than was the case.

"I wish that we could get one of them to tame," exclaimed Arthur. "It
would make a delightful pet for your sister, and a capital playmate for
True. They would become great friends, depend on it. He sadly wants a
companion of his own amount of intellect, poor fellow."

"I doubt as to their having any intellect, and I don't think True would
consider himself complimented by having them compared to him," I
answered, laughing, though a little piqued that the sense of my
favourite should be rated on an equality with that of a monkey. We
discussed the matter as we went along. I was compelled to acknowledge
at last that though True had sense, he might not even have reason, only
instinct verging on it strongly developed.

"And wh