The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-06-20
A SHOWER OF MONKEYS.

| Vaueu OeylOn, l1anOOtUal nelplng 10
bridge the strait.
Duty had taken me to Dharmsala, a
bill station considerably west of Simla.
On the return journey ] turned off the
main road at Ksngra, an ancient fort
ress, named by Runjeet Singh "the
key of the Puujab," though utterly un-
able to stand weeks siege from a
civilized army.
The main road passes through
dense wood not 100 yards from this
house, which was more than half a
mile away from the nearest part of
town. From the road narrow ave.
nue. had been cut among he trees TO a
small clearance around the house,
otherwise, it was buried in the wood.
Sauntering under these trees / sud-
denly became conscious of noises in the
branches above me. / looked up and
about, but though the branches stirred
and the leaves moved, could see
nothing. | was not, however, long
left in doubt or speculation. A mon
key, large male, dropped from
branch to the ground at a distance of
he reached the ground he squatted on
his heels resting his hands on his knees
and gazing fixedly and solemnly at me.
His gravity upset mine. Then near
him another monkey dropped down;
a third and fourth followed. 1t be-
gan to rain monkeys In tens, in
scores, in hundreds; old, middle aged
and young; large and small; males and
females-many of the latter carrying
babies, some on their backs, others in
their arms-kept dropping from trees
around me. was standing under 4
mighty giant of the forests and against
its trunk some five feet in diameter,
set my back, as the monkeys in their
hundreds squatted down in an irregu-
lar semicircle around me.
SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS.
At some distance beyond, several
young monkey urchins, which prefer
red play to curiosity, kept suspending
themselves from the branches in long
living chains, holding on TO each
others hands or tails, and swinging
themselves pendulum wise to and fro.
They were not the small puny crea-
lures generally seen in European me-
nageries, but the real genuine Indian
Hanooman, of which race the large
and strong males stand, when erect,
fully four feet in height, They were
many such, among others of smaller
size, in the crowd around me.
1t had not taken three minutes to
form that semicrcle of monkeys. They
had coue down as thick az a shower
of hail-stones; but so softly aud gently
had they descended to the grass ard
leaf covered ground that scarcely aIy
noise had been made. For a short
time they sat motionless and silent,
staring hard at me; and a baby mon
key, having made a noise, was Instant
ly snacked by its mother in a most
human fashion. They looked at me,
then at each other, and again at me;
and then began to chatter-frst one,
then few together, then many at
once, finally all in a chorus. They
talked, chartered, jabbered, discussed,
argued, shouted and yelled; gesticu-
lating meanwhile, making faces aud
grinning.
The laughjwith which l greeted the
first of my visitors died very sudden
death, for my curiosity to watch their
behavior did not prevent my realizing
the fact that l was not in very safe
position. Here l was, unarmed, moth
ing but light riding whip in my
hand, surrounded by hundreds Of mon
keys, to which my white face and
European dress were evidently objects
of as much aversion as curiosity. Ma.
tives they did not mind, but Europe
ans they seem to regard with hatred
due to intruders.
THE CIRCLE GROWS SMALLER.
l fully realized my danger, but con
tiuued calm and collected, and reason
ed the position out to myself. Thc
only chance of safety was to remain
quietly against this friendly tree, 81
lenGly observing the monkeys, careful
to give no offense or provocation
watchful to give them no advan.ag
over me, till the return of the care
: taker or some other chance came t,
my aid. Had 1 attempted to strik
them, or to frighten them, or to breal
through them, or TO flee from them
D have not the slightest doubt that
= should not now be writing this &C
t count. Their enormous number
n would have emboldened them T.
I any act. | should have been quit
/ helpless in their grasp-would, indeed
y have been pounced upon by scores G
y them, overpoweied bitten and torn t
pieces. So, making virtue of neces
e sity, l kept up a bold front, watched
n waited prayed.
= In one of the intervals of silence tn
: great monkey that had first arrive
e and that seemed to be one of the lea(
y ers, suddenly hoped nearer to me-
l. two feet or 30. lis action was in
d mediately initiated by all the monkey
d forming the front row of the sem
IS circle, while those behind closed up
d before, and the semiclrcle contracte
W around me two feet i'll the radiu
q More chettering and gesticulating 10
ir lowed, more growing and GRIMM
er with intervals of silence. They had
b, great deal to say, and they all SAID
p. and it was about me, too; for they fr
st quently pointed at me with the
d. hands aud snarled and gnashed the
lie teeth at me. Again they contractC
no the semicircle as before. And so The
It. kept gradually coming nearer al
en- nearer, and growing more and mo
C. excited.
of But my deliyerance was at hand,
st the midst of one of their most moi
he discussions, they one and all becar
he suddenly silent and perfectly sti
ro They seemed to be listening attentlvel
al listened. too, but at first could catt
ct no sound anywhere; the stiffness
'st death was all around, for even Il
lg young monkeys had ceased the
an tricks. What could have disturb
IT, and silenced the noisy throngl