brought up inside the
cage. A trigger was arranged, to be sprung should the monkey, in
following the roadway, enter the cage, and which would release a little
door that, falling into place, would shut the opening, and at the same
time ring a bell Toby had fixed close to where his head would be as he
slept.

Altogether it was quite an ingenious contraption; but all the same
there was no bell ringing during _that_ night: And yet when Toby went
out next morning to examine his disappointing contrivance he reported
that the monkey had actually been there, and eaten up all the nut meat,
even going inside the trap, and never setting the trigger off.

Sure enough they did find his tracks in the roadway as far as the trap,
but no further, which told them the animal was too smart to be caught by
such a flimsy device.

Toby insisted on it that he had gone inside, because the bait had all
vanished; but Max, having lifted the cage aside, showed that there was
not a sign of the monkey's footprints there. On the other hand he told
them the inside bait had plainly been devoured by little mice, for he
showed them innumerable tracks made by their dainty feet.

So Toby declared that he was done.

"He's too cute for m-m-me, fellers, I admit," he said; "though if it
wasn't for that fetching bait left by Mr. Jenks I'd k-k-keep on tryin'
till I didn't know my own name. But now, Max, l-l-let 's g-g-get busy in
earnest."

As he had promised them, Max would not draw back. The balance of the nut
meat and some of the dried bread he put in a pannikin, and poured a
portion of the contents of the bottle over the mess, until the liquid
was soaked up.

This was done at a certain spot where they believed the monkey was most
apt to show himself. Then the boys went away, one of them remaining on
sentry duty at some little distance off, so as to give the signal should
Link make his appearance.

The whole morning passed without the monkey showing up. Lunch had been
served, and the one on duty relieved, so that he could take his turn at
the rude table they had constructed near the tent.

Bandy-legs was the sentinel now, and would remain on post until about
the middle of the afternoon, unless something happened to break the
dreadful monotony.

It did.

About two o'clock Bandy-legs came running in, all out of breath, with
the exciting news that the monkey had appeared, just as they hoped, and
was even then busily engaged in disposing of the dop