e, I
have a notion, they have ever seen a human face, and I suppose they take
us to be big apes or monkeys like themselves."

The creatures seemed in no way alarmed at our gestures, nor did they
appear to fear the gun which Mr Sedgwick levelled at them. He lowered
it again, however.

"No," he said; "they do not know better; and as we do not want to eat
them, it would be downright cruelty to kill the creatures."

I was very glad of this, for I should have been sorry to have had any of
them hurt. The case would have been very different had my uncle wanted
one as a specimen. He then seemed to have no regard for the life of any
animals he required. He apparently considered that the honour he did
the creature by preserving it was ample amends for putting it to death.

It was now time for us to recommence our return journey.

"But shall we have to pass through the country of those dreadful apes?"
exclaimed Grace. "Surely if a number of them were to come together,
they might attack us."

"No fear of that, young lady," said Mr Sedgwick. "They will seldom
injure any one unless they themselves are attacked, though the big
fellow you saw would be a formidable antagonist to any one unsupported."

I thought so too, and was very thankful that we had come up in time. We
were making our way towards the shores of the lower lake, Mr Sedgwick
leading; but on this occasion we young people lingered behind. I was
walking with Grace; Oliver and Emily were a short distance behind us.
Emily had brought her sketch-book, which she had used in taking views
from the inner lake. Presently Oliver came running after us to say that
she wished to take a view of the gap, and bid us wait a few minutes for
her while she hastily sketched it. I went on to the party ahead to beg
them also to stop, or, at all events, when they had found the way, to
wait till we had come up to them. I had almost got back to where I had
left Grace, when I heard a loud scream, and I saw a huge black monster--
so he seemed to me--drop from the branch of a tree near to where my
sister was standing. Oliver quickly ran forward and threw himself
between her and the creature, which I now saw was a huge mias, very like
the one we had before seen. Oliver had his gun in his hand, and
presenting it at the animal's head, he drew the trigger, but it failed
to go off, and the mias closed upon him. One grip of the fierce
creature's powerful mouth would, it seemed, have bee