leaped on the back of one of his steeds as it passed. Of course the
speed was increased, and the nails he stuck in to keep himself on,
produced a squeaking: but Jack was never thrown, and became so fond of
the exercise, that he was obliged to be shut up whenever the pigs were
at liberty. Confinement was the worst punishment he could receive, and
whenever threatened with that, or any other, he would cling to me for
protection. At night, when about to be sent to bed in an empty hencoop,
he generally hid himself under my shawl, and at last never suffered any
one but myself to put him to rest. He was particularly jealous of the
other monkeys on board, who were all smaller than himself, and put two
out of his way. The first feat of the kind was performed in my presence:
he began by holding out his paw, and making a squeaking noise, which the
other evidently considered as an invitation; the poor little thing
crouched to him most humbly; but Jack seized him by the neck, hopped off
to the side of the vessel, and threw him into the sea. We cast out a
rope immediately, but the monkey was too frightened to cling to it, and
we were going too fast to save him by any other means. Of course, Jack
was flogged and scolded, at which he was very penitent; but the
deceitful rogue, at the end of three days, sent another victim to the
same destiny. But his spite against his own race was manifested at
another time in a very original way. The men had been painting the
ship's side with a streak of white, and upon being summoned to dinner,
left their brushes and paint on deck. Unknown to Jack, I was seated
behind the companion door, and saw the whole transaction; he called a
little black monkey to him, who, like the others, immediately crouched
to his superior, when he seized him by the nape of the neck with one
paw, took the brush, dripping with paint, with the other, and covered
him with white from head to foot. Both the man at the helm and myself
burst into a laugh, upon which Jack dropped his victim, and scampered up
the rigging. The unhappy little beast began licking himself, but I
called the steward, who washed him so well with turpentine, that all
injury was prevented; but during our bustle Jack was peeping with his
black nose through the bars of the maintop, apparently enjoying the
confusion. For three days he persisted in remaining aloft; no one could
catch him, he darted with such rapidity from rope to rope; at length,
impelled by hung