e to
flight, and that we must keep at a distance behind them.

"I wonder what they are going to shoot," asked Arthur.

"We shall soon see," I answered, as we followed our friends.

The noise of our operations in the forest had driven away most of its
usual inhabitants from the neighbourhood. We therefore had to go some
distance before we came in sight of any game. We kept, as we had
promised, a little behind our friends. Suddenly one of them stopped,
and raising his blow-pipe, a sound like that from a large pop-gun was
heard, and we saw a bird, pierced by an arrow, fluttering among the
branches. Gradually its wings ceased to move, and down fell a parrot.
Advancing a little further, the Indian made us a sign to stop; and
looking up among the branches, we caught sight of a troop of the same
curious little monkeys with long tails which we had seen the day before.
They kept frisking about, now climbing up the sipos, now throwing
themselves down, hanging by their tails, and swinging backwards and
forwards. Presently one of the natives lifted his blow-pipe, from which
sped an arrow, piercing one of the poor little creatures. It hung for
an instant by its tail round a branch, and then fell with a crash among
the thick leaves. The others kept jumping about, apparently not aware
of what had happened to their companion. Thus three or more were
brought down before the rest discovered the enemy in their
neighbourhood. They then all went off at a rapid rate, swinging
themselves from branch to branch, but stopped again at a short distance
to watch us.

"I would give anything to have one of those active little fellows
alive!" exclaimed Arthur. "Don't you think, Harry, that we could make
the Indians understand what we want?"

"We will try, at all events," I answered. "But I beg that you won't
laugh at my pantomime."

Galling to the Indians, I took one of their arrows, and pointing it
towards the monkeys, which were still to be seen a little way before us
among the trees, eyeing us curiously, I shook my head violently, to show
that I did not want it killed. Then I ran forward, and pretended to
catch one, and to lead it along. "Now, Arthur, you must act the
monkey," I exclaimed. On this he began frisking about, putting out his
hand behind to represent a tail, while I pretended to be soothing him by
stroking him on the head and back, and thus inducing him to accompany
me.

The Indians watched us attentively, and the