ther on one
of the branches. After a moment one dropped down head-foremost as
before, and hung at his full length. Another ran down the body of this
one, and taking a turn of his tail round his neck and fore-arm, skipped
off and also hung head downwards. A third joined himself on to the
second in a similar manner, and then a fourth. The fore-arms of the
fourth rested upon the fruit-cluster of the pupunha!

The chain was now long enough for the purpose. In a few minutes the last
monkey on the chain, with his teeth and hands, had separated the
footstalk of the spathes, and the great clusters--two of them there
were--fell heavily to the bottom of the tree. The marimondas on the
ground ran forward; and, in the midst of loud rejoicings began to pull
off the "peaches" and devour them.

But the monkeys above did not cease their labours. There were many
mouths to feed, and they wanted more nuts. Without changing their
position, they, by means of their arms and legs, threw themselves into a
vibrating motion, and by this means the last on the string soon seized
upon another pupunha, and also detached its fruit. In this way they
continued, until they had stripped every tree within their reach; when,
judging they had got enough, the lowermost monkey _climbed back upon
himself_, then up his companions to the branch, and in the same style
was followed by the other three in succession. As soon as they were
clear of one another, the whole party came down by the trunk to the
ground, and joined their comrades below in the luxurious repast.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE MONKEY MOTHER.

Now you will, perhaps, imagine that Guapo, having sat so quiet during
all this scene, had no desire for a bit of roast-monkey to supper. In
that fancy, then, you would be quite astray from the truth. Guapo had a
_strong_ desire to eat roast marimonda that very night; and, had he not
been held back by Don Pablo, he would never have allowed the monkeys to
get quietly out of the zamang--for it being an isolated tree, it would
have afforded him a capital opportunity of "treeing" them. His blow-gun
had been causing his fingers to itch all the time; and as soon as Don
Pablo and the rest were satisfied with observing the monkeys, Guapo set
out, blow-gun, in hand, followed by Leon.

There was no cover by which he might approach the group; and, therefore,
no course was left for him but to run up as quickly forward as possible,
and take his chance of getting a