the mountain.
The silence which reigned after the seizure of the people by the
dervishes and the sight of the bananas had allured a great number of
chimpanzees which built for themselves, on the loftier trees, something
like umbrellas or roofs, for protection against rain. Stas did not want
to kill them, but decided to drive them away, and with this object in
view he fired a shot into the air. This produced a general panic, which
increased still more when after the shot Saba's furious bass barking
resounded, and the King, incited by the noise, trumpeted threateningly.
But the apes, to make a retreat, did not need to seek the rocky ridge;
they dashed over the broken rocks towards the river and the trees
growing near it with such rapidity that Saba's fangs could not reach
any of them.

The sun had set. Kali and Nasibu built a fire to prepare for supper.
Stas, after unpacking the necessary articles for the night, repaired to
the king's hut, which was occupied by Nell. It was light and cheerful
in the hut, for Mea had lit, not the fire-pot which had illuminated the
interior of the baobab tree, but a large traveling lamp inherited from
Linde. Nell did not at all feel fatigued from the journey in a day so
cool, and fell into perfect good humor, especially when Stas announced
that the human bones, which she feared, had been taken away.

"How nice it is here!" she exclaimed. "Look, even the floor is covered
with resin. It will be fine here."

"To-morrow I shall fully examine our possessions," he answered;
"judging, however, by what I have seen to-day, one could dwell here all
his life."

"If our papas were here, then we could. But how will you name this
possession?"

"The mountain ought to be called Mount Linde in geographies; and let
this village be named after you, Nell."

"Then I shall be in the geographies?" asked she with great glee.

"You will, you will," Stas replied in all seriousness.

XIV

The next day it rained a little, but there were hours when the weather
was clear, so Stas early in the morning started to visit his
possessions and at noon had viewed thoroughly all the nooks. The
inspection on the whole created a favorable impression. First, in
respect to safety, Mount Linde was as though the chosen spot of all
Africa. Its sides were accessible only to chimpanzees. Neither lions
nor panthers could climb over its precipitous sides. As to the rocky
ridge, it was sufficient to place the King at its en