at looked
like a man of gigantic form, with a huge head, and prodigiously long
arms, holding on to the tree. He seemed to look about him as if to
examine the surrounding trees; should he discover me, he evidently could
with ease climb the tree on which I sat. I was afraid of moving, and
yet I felt convinced that he might, with his sharp eyes, discover me
looking through the boughs at him. I fortunately had the muzzle of my
gun turned towards him, and could at any moment bring the butt to my
shoulder. I could not expect to get a better mark than he now presented
to me, but then, so human looked the creature, seen through the gloom of
night, that I asked myself whether I was justified in shooting him.
While these thoughts were passing through my mind, he let go the stem of
the tree, and once more sank down, moving forward as before on his hands
and feet. At first I thought he was coming up my tree. To my relief he
turned aside, apparently satisfied that the being which had uttered the,
to him, strange sounds, was not concealed among its branches. I
breathed more freely. I was thankful that I had not fired, for I might
only have wounded the creature, and he would then, inspired by rage,
have climbed the tree to attack me. I waited, watching for an hour or
more; at length, finding sleep overcoming me, I replaced my gun by my
side, and stretched myself almost at my length, for which there was
ample room. My eyes closed, possibly I might have been surprised by
apes, snakes, or any other tree-climbing creatures without having time
to rouse myself sufficiently to offer the slightest resistance, so sound
was my sleep; and yet it was not untroubled, for all night long that
fearful cry occasionally rang in my ears, and I heard other shrieks and
noises. Whether they were really uttered by the denizen of the forest,
or created by my imagination, is more than I can possibly say.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

I TRAVEL NORTH-EAST--BREAKFAST--A STRANGE SUPPER COMPANION--ANOTHER
DAY'S JOURNEY--MEET SOME GIRLS--THE PRINCESS CARRIED OFF BY AN APE--I
SHOOT HIM--TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION TO THE VILLAGE--THE MAIDEN'S SONG
ALARMS ME--AM THANKED BY THE KING--THE KING'S WEAVERS--MY FRIENDS
RETURN--WE ARE MOST HANDSOMELY TREATED--THE PRINCESS AND HER
GRANDFATHER--MY ALARM ONLY TOO WELL FOUNDED--CHARLEY COMES TO THE
RESCUE--DISCUSS OUR PROSPECTS.

A bright light streamed into my eyes--it was the sun, just rising,
sending his rays darting through