is very easily taught, and may be made a
useful domestic servant, at least as regards the humbler operations of
the kitchen; he promptly obeys signs and the voice, whilst other
species of apes only obey the stick; he will rinse glasses, serve at
table, turn the spit, grind coffee, or carry water. Add to his virtues
as a domestic, that he is not much addicted to chattering about the
family affairs, has no followers, and is very accommodating in the
matter of wages.

It was neither more nor less than a chimpanzee that Fritz had caught
in the dark at Falcon's Nest.

"Now then, old fellow," said he, "you will help us to clear up this
mysterious affair."

The caged stranger made no reply to this observation; Willis and Jack
then questioned him, the one in English and the other in French.

Still no reply.

He did not submit, however, to be interrogated quietly; on the
contrary, his struggles to get away were most vigorous, so much so
that Fritz adopted the precaution of binding him.

"If it had been one of our sailors," said Willis, "he would have
recognized my voice long ago."

"Who are you?" asked one.

"Where do you come from?" inquired another.

"Do not attempt to escape," said a third.

"We mean you no harm; on the contrary, we are friends, disposed to do
you good if we can."

"If all his brothers and sisters are as talkative as himself,"
remarked Jack, "they must be a very amusing sort of people."

"He can walk at all events," said Fritz giving him a smart push.

The chimpanzee fell flat on the floor.

"It appears, sir, that you are determined to have your own way, we
must therefore wait till daylight."

An hour passed in polyglot expostulations with the stranger on the
score of his obstinacy, but all to no purpose; to use a popular
expression, he was as dumb as the Doges. He deigned, however, to empty
at a single draught a calabash of Malaga that Willis gave him, but
there his condescension stopped.

The Pilot, who now encountered mosquitoes in all directions, made
preparations for smoking; the light he struck, however, instead of
clearing up the mystery, only perplexed them more and more; there lay
their new companion, stretched on the ground, staring at them with a
ludicrous grin.

If, on the one hand, it occurred to them this man was an animal, on
the other the animal was a man, and Buffon did not happen to be there
at the time to assign him officially a place in the former kingdom.

The nex