ey had succeeded in
rescuing the wretched negro from the fangs of the tiger. Meantime the
monkey sat on the farther end of a branch watching him.

"I hope you have formed a favourable opinion of me, Master Quacko," he
said, looking at the ape, for even in the dangerous predicament in which
he was placed he could not resist a joke.

"Quacko, quacko, quacko," went the monkey, in a tone which Jack thought
was friendly.

He felt about in his pockets, and found a piece of biscuit. He nibbled
a bit, and then held it out to his companion. The ape drew near, at
first, hesitatingly; Jack nibbled a little more of the biscuit. Quacko
thought that it would all be gone if he did not make haste, so he made
one or two more hops up towards Jack. Jack nibbled away, then once more
held out the biscuit. The monkey made one spring, and nearly caught it,
but Jack drew it back, that the animal might feel that it was given him.
Then he held it out, and the ape took it quite gently, but ran off to
the end of a bough, that he might examine this new sort of food, and eat
it at his leisure.

The pirates had now found their way back to where they had left Jack.
He could plainly hear them asking one another what could have become of
him. They were under the tree in which he lay so snugly ensconced.

"He must have hid himself in the brushwood; he cannot be far off," said
one.

"If he had had his hands at liberty, I should say he would have got up
one of these trees," observed another. "Those English sailors can climb
anything. I have seen them go up the side of a slippery rock without a
hole in which to stick their nails."

"He cannot be up this tree," remarked the first. "See! there is a
monkey quietly eating a nut on one of the branches. There is no other
tree near in which he could hide."

After this the men hunted about on every side, and Jack hoped that they
would then go away.

"He must still be near," exclaimed one of them. "Sancho, do you climb
that tree and look about you. You will soon find out where he is by the
shaking of the bushes as he moves along. Up! man, up!"

Jack knew, by the voice which replied, that one of the negroes was
climbing up. The monkey had finished his biscuit, and, liking it very
much, came back for some more, not observing what was occurring below.
Jack had now won his confidence; and by giving him a very little bit at
a time kept the animal close to him. Up climbed the black. Jack knew