's entertainment had
done more to affect him than anything which had occurred, and it was
their earnest hope that this might be a means to his delivery.

Harry was the only one to notice a field mouse which had appeared soon
after George began to play, and the little animal was joined by others,
but the subsequent events of the evening attracted his attention, so
that no notice was taken of them until they were about to retire, when
they scampered away and Harry then related how they had acted.

"That is an interesting thing. Some time ago the keeper of the Central
Park Zooelogical Gardens, in New York, employed a violinist to play for
the animals, and the results were very interesting. The first animals
approached were a lioness and five cubs. The tune played was 'America.'
She listened with mute and dignified appreciation, and her five little
cubs ranged up alongside in a row, and in the same attitude, all with a
wondering expression, and sometimes would act just as you often have
seen dogs do, turn their heads aside obliquely, as though the sound
could be better understood. The old lion in the adjoining cage also
stopped his restless movement, and peered at the player attentively. The
next animal was a tigress. When the playing commenced she first looked
startled. Her mate entered the cage and escorted her out into the yard
while he took up his position and listened, and refused to allow her to
return. The hippopotamus, on the other hand, got mad, and sought the
water for seclusion. The elephant appeared to be the most
discriminating, for while he deliberately turned his back when a
plaintive tune was played, was so delighted when a rattling dancing jig
was executed, he actually danced about in ecstacies of joy. The wolves,
foxes and hyenas could not be made to appreciate any of the tunes, but
the monkeys enjoyed all the tunes, if being sad when doleful tunes are
played give happiness, and they partook of the exhilaration when lively
sounds came from the instrument."

[Illustration: _Fig. 29. THE LION AND CUBS_]

The warm summer days were now at hand, and all realized that this was
the proper time to carry out the long-delayed project of fully exploring
the western shore of their little continent. This had been deferred
before John came, in order that more complete preparations could be
made, and to await settled weather, and now that he was here further
delay had been urged in the hope that memory would be restor