ome seemed afraid
to take a leap till their companions began to move off, when, for fear
of being left alone, they threw themselves frantically into the air,
while two or three came crashing through the slender branches down to
the ground.

"Oh, do catch one of those pretty creatures for us!" said Emily and
Grace.

Oliver and I ran forward to catch them; but they were not too much hurt
to defend themselves; and one of them bit me so severely in the hand,
that I was glad to let him go; while the rest, picking themselves up,
hopped off at a rate which would have made pursuit useless.

"I am very sorry," I said to Grace, "to lose the monkey; though I do not
think he would have proved a very amiable pet. However, I hope to be
more fortunate another time."

My uncle laughed heartily at me, while he put some salve on my finger
and bound it up, the pain quickly subsiding under his treatment.

We soon had our coffee-pot boiling, and we took our breakfast before
commencing our day's walk. The girls declared themselves fully able to
proceed. While we were sitting on the ground, I perceived a movement in
the boughs, and saw that the monkeys were coming back to have a further
look at us; and presently the boughs above our heads were filled with
curious prying black, grey, and yellow faces. I pointed them out to
Grace and Emily.

"If we could but entice some of them to come down, perhaps we might
capture one for you," I observed.

"Oh no, no; pray do not attempt it," said Grace, "or you will get
another bite. I thought they were such good-natured little creatures
that they would hurt no one."

"Nor would they, young lady, if left alone," said my uncle. "However, I
have some tame ones at home, and you shall choose the most docile when
we return as your especial property. We must give them another
steeple-chase, however," he whispered; and suddenly starting up, he
uttered a loud cry and clapped his hands.

Again the wood was full of living creatures, and away they went as
before, swinging from bough to bough, with the aid of their long tails,
in the most wonderful manner. We saw several further off on one side,
who moved in a different manner from the rest.

"Those are apes," said our uncle, pointing them out. "I have one in my
collection which I will show you. It is the _Siamang syndactyla_."

It was moving much slower than the monkeys, keeping lower down in the
underwood, but still it moved rapidly by means o