Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-11-15

went on increasing at such a rate that he was
obliged to keep bulldog to drive them away.
But nothing would help them. A cat who had
the toothache would come any number of miles
to him. 1t would come down the chimney,
even, and not leave the room till he had taken
its tooth out 1t grew such nuisance at last
that he was never free from one of these feline
patients. However, being one morning very
nervous, he accidently broke the jaw of an old
tabby. The news of this spread like wildfre.
Not single cat ever came to him afterwards.
How Apes catch Grabs and Crabs catch
A traveller in Java relates the following
pany of some of the natives:
After walking close up to the old campaign,
they were upon the point of turning back,
when young fellow emerged from the thieket,
and said a few words to the mandoor. The
latter turned with laugh to Frank, and asked
if he had ever seen the apes catch crabs
Frank replied in the negative, and the man
door, taking his hand, led himsgently and eau
tiously through the deserted village to spot
which the young fellow had pointed out, and
where the old man had formerly planted hedges,
rendering it an easy task for them to approach
unobserved.
At length they reached the boundary Of the
former settlements dry, sandy soil, strip of
beach, where all vegetation ceased, and only a
single, tall pandanus tree, whose roots were
thickly interlaced with creeping plants, formed
as it were the advanced post of the vegetable
kingdom. Behind this they crawled along,
and cautiously raising their heads they saw
several apes, and at distance of two or three
hundred PAGES, who were pertly looking for
something, as they walked up and down the
beach, while others stood motionless.
1t was the long tailed, brown variety, and
his telescope with him to watch the motion of
these strange beings more closely, when one of
them, tremendous large fellow, began to draw
nearer to them. Carefully examining the
ground over which he went on all fours he
stood at intervals to scratch himself, or to snap
at some insect that buzzed around him.
He came so close that Frank fancied that he
must scent them and give the alarm to the
other monkeys, when suddenly passing over
little elevation covered with withered reedy
grass, he here discovered a party of crabs pa
radiRg up and down on the hot sand. With
bound he was among them, but not quick
enough to catch single one; for the crabs,
though apparently so clumsy, darted like light
ming into quantity of small holes or cavities,
which made the ground here resemble seve,
and the ape could not thrust his paws after
them, for the orifce was too narrow.
The mandoor nudged Frank gently, to draw
his attention, and they saw the ape, after craw-
ling once or twice up and down the small strip
of land, and peeping into the various holes,
with its nose close to the ground, suddenly
seating himself very grayely by one of them,
which he fancied most suitable. He then
brought around his long tail to the front,
thrust the end Of it into the cavity, until be
met with an obstacle and suddenly made face,
which so amused Frank, that be would have
laughed loudly had not the mandoor raised
his finger warningly, and directly the ape
drew out his extraordinary line with jerk.
At the end of it. however, hung the desired
booty, fat crab by one Of its claws, and
swinging it round on the ground with such vio-
lence as to make it loose its hold, be took il
in his left paw, picked up stone with the
other, and after cracking the she'll devoured
the savory contents with evident satisfaction.
-Four or five he thus caught in succession,
on each occasion when the crab nipped him,
making face Of heroic resignation and pain,
but each time he was successful, and he must
have found in the dainty dish and the revenge
for the nip abundant satisfaction for the pain
he endured or else he would not have set to
work again so soon.
Thus then the ape, quite engaged with the
sport, and without taking his eyes off the
ground, had approached to within about twenty
PAGES OF the party concealed behind the pan
danus tree. Here, again, the ground was full
OF holes, and looking ont the one he conjec-
tured to be the best, he threw in his line once
n1A A.l1 r. L. Al a ..
alive within, for he awaited the result with
signs of the most eager attention.
The affair, however, lasted longer than he
anticipated; but being already well filed by
his past successful bauls he pulled mp his knees,
laid his arms upon them, bowed his head and
half closing his eyes he assumed such resign
ed and yet exquisitely comical face as only an
ape is capable Of putting on under these cir
cumstances.
But his quiet was destined to be disturbed in
a manner as unsupported as II we're cruel. He
must have discerned some very interesting OBJ
Ject IN the clouds, for he was staring up there
hxedy when he uttered loud yell, left hold
OF his knees, felt with both hands for his tail.
and made bound in the air as if the ground |
under him was beginning to grow red hot. At
the end OF his tail, however, hung gigantic |
crab, torn with desperate energy from his hid |
ing place, and Frank, who could restrain him. |
self no longer, then burst into loud laugh.
The mandoor at first retained his gravity: |
but when the ape, alarmed by the strange sound |
looked up and saw men, and then bounded off at |
full speed, with the tormentor still dangling at
the end of his tail, the old man could no longer
refrain either, and they both laughed till The |
tears ran down their cheeks.
The ape, in the meanwhile, few across the
narrow strip Of sand, followed by all the others
toward the jungle, and in q moment after, not |