on, for Master Spider, since
we might have had a dozen such fellows for the catching," observed
Norris, as he watched the monkeys in troops springing from bough to
bough.

"But how were we to catch them, I should like to know?" asked Tom.
"They can beat any one of us at climbing, there's no doubt about that."

"Ah, well, I suppose they can, as they are at it all day," answered
Norris sagaciously.

Meantime Master Spider had been gazing up wistfully at his relations in
the trees, every now and then answering their chatterings with a
peculiar cry, when, passing under an overhanging bough, some three or
four feet above him, suddenly springing on the horse's head, and thence
on Gerald's, in a moment, with his long arms extended, he had laid tight
hold of it, while Gerald letting go his rein, with equal tenacity
grasped the end of the chain, fancying that he could haul him back; but
the arms of the monkey were stronger than his. On galloped the horse,
leaving him, as a consequence, hanging with one hand to the chain.
Instinctively he made a grasp at the monkey's long tail, greatly, it is
possible, to the relief of the owner; and there he hung, swinging
backwards and forwards between the sky and earth, the monkey jabbering
and shrieking with the pain of the strap round its loins, amid a chorus
of its relatives, while the other midshipmen gathered round, laughing
till they nearly split their sides, without attempting to assist him.
Even Tom--hard-hearted fellow--forgot to help his friend.

"Bear a hand, some of ye, and catch hold of my legs, or I'll be carried
off by the baste entirely," shouted Gerald. "And there's my horse
galloped off, and I'll have none to ride back on."

"Hold fast, Paddy! hold fast!" shouted his messmates, "it's such fun to
see you."

"It's you I want to be holding on to me, for if ye won't haul me down
the baste of a monkey will be after hauling me up. He'll be at the top
of the tree in another moment, and his friends will be carrying me off
among them, and I'll never set eyes again on Ballymacree, shone! shone!
but be turned into a spider-legged monkey, I will!" and poor Paddy began
to cry with terror as he pictured the fate in store for him. At length
Tom's regard for his friend overcame his love of fun, and throwing the
reins of his horse to Norris he jumped off, and catching hold of
Gerald's legs began hauling away with all his might. Now, though Master
Spider could, by his wonderful mus