rhinoceros; for we agreed that, as
it was impossible to carry away the entire carcass, we ought at least to
secure the horn as a memorial of our adventure.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

WE SEE STRANGE THINGS, AND GIVE OUR NEGRO FRIENDS THE SLIP.

During the two following days we passed through a country that was more
thickly covered with the indiarubber vine than any place we had before
met with in our African travels. I could not help feeling regret that
such a splendid region should be almost, if not altogether, unknown and
useless to civilised man. There seemed to be an unlimited supply of
caoutchouc; but the natives practised a method of gathering it which had
the effect of destroying the vine.

One day, some weeks after this, we came upon the habitation of a most
remarkable species of monkey, named the Nshiego Mbouve, which we had
often heard of, but had not up to that time been so fortunate as to see.
Being exceedingly anxious to observe how this remarkable creature made
use of its singular house, Peterkin and I lay down near the place, and
secreting ourselves in the bushes, patiently awaited the arrival of the
monkey, while Jack went off in another direction to procure something
for supper.

"I don't believe he'll come home to-night," said Peterkin, after we had
lain down. "People never do come in when any one chances to be waiting
for them. The human race seems to be born to disappointment. Did you
never notice, Ralph, how obstinately contrary and cross-grained things
go when you want them to go otherwise?"

"I don't quite understand you," said I.

"Of course you don't. Yours seems to be a mind that can never take
anything in unless it is hammered in by repetition."

"Come now, Peterkin, don't become, yourself, an illustration of your own
remark in reference to cross-grained things."

"Well, I won't. But seriously, Ralph, have you not observed, in the
course of your observant life, that when you have particular business
with a man, and go to his house or office, you are _certain_ to find him
out, to use the common phrase? It would be more correct, however, to
say `you are certain not to find him in.'"

"You are uncommonly particular, Peterkin."

"Truly I had need to be so, with such an uncommonly stupid audience."

"Thank you. Well?"

"Well, have you never observed that if you have occasion to call at a
house where you have never been before, the number of that particular
house is not in