Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-06-27
BESIEGED BY MONKEYS.
A TALE or INDIA.

Duty had taken me to Dharmsala, a
hill station considerably west of Simla.
On the return journey 1 turned off the
main road at Kangra. The object of
this excursion was to see a neighboring
shrine, much vcnerated by the llindoos
and called Jwalamookhec The native
pilgrims, who come III thousands, lodge
in the open air under the trees and
cook their own food; the rich bring
tents for their accommodation. But
there was no pace for Europeans to
lodge in except the usual "district
officers bungalow" This is always a
small house, with two or three rooms,
built and furnished by the govern
ment, and put in charge Of man SER
want, who both looks after it and at
tends to the wants of those who occupy
it. In it the officers whom duty takes
to such out-of-the Europcan-world' 5
places, lodge and transact business
during the few days of their periodi-
cal visits. 70 this bungalow, there
fore, we went. On telling the care
taker who we were, he opened the
house; and, while went in and in
dulged in very needful and refresh
ing wash, he attended to my horse.
Ils.. nIc!ininarie. ll.sing q !. lss,1s.,.ll
sent him into the town, for the double
Of procuring us some food
and Of inquiring from the priests at
what hour we might pay the temple a
visit.
The main road passes through a
dense wood not 100 yards from this
house, which was moe than half a
mile away from the nearest part of the
town. From the road a narrow ave-
nue. had been cut among the trees to a
small clearance around the house, other
wise it was quite buried in the wood.
When the caretaker left me l found
the house s,uffy and damp. 1t had
probably not been opened or aired for
days. The stiffness around was op-
pressive. Not sound was heard ex-
cept the munching of our horse in the
neighboring stable or the rare cry of a
bird in the trees. There was nothing
in the house to read, and nothing TO
do. Moreover, | had had a long ride
- ~ = .,s~ssse
rising from the chair | stroled out Of
the house. After walking listlessly
around it, and pacing the small cleared
space in front, followed the avenue
to the main road, and, then returning,
passed into the wood, in nersed in my
own thoughts. 1t was literally a
"twilight wood" for though it was
nearly noon on bright August day,
the trees stood so close and the leaves
grew so thick that scarce patch of
sunshine lighted up a few favored
spots. The giant branches of the
grand old trees, more than touched
they interaced and formed a leafy
canopy overhead, with just here and
there a rent, to admit ray of light
and to give glimpse of the bright
blue sky above.
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 speculation. A
monkey, a large male, dropped from
a branch to the ground at a distance
of about thirty feet in front of me
As he reached the ground, he squatted
on his heels, resting both his hands OF
his knees and gazing fixedly and
solemnly at me. His gravity upsei
mine. Then near him another monkey
dropped down; a third and fourth
followed. 1t began to rain monkeys
In tens, in scores, in hundreds; old
middle-aged and young; large an6
small; males and females-many o1
the latter carrying babies, some oil
their backs, others in their arms-kep
dropping from the trees around me
| was standing under mighty gian
of the forest, and against its trunk
some five feet in diameter, | set mi
back, as the monkeys in their hundred
squatted down in an irregular semi
circle around. They did not go be
hind the tree, for its trunk was mucl
wider than my back, and they chos,
to sit only where they could see me
Around they left clear space, but a
the distance of about thirty feet the,
sat, huddled close together, in seyera
rows, 600 and more in number.