The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-14
Breaking Up a Monkey Pack.

Monkeys are an unmitigated nuisance,
/ especially IN the country. ] have often
! come across in the jungles adjoining the
/ villages of Northern Bengal. whole troops
/ OF them. whose depradations on the fields
AND orchards were the despair of the I'M
! fortunate villagers. These troops always
consisted of one huge male and about
| a hundred females The fact is. when a
| little monkey is born In the pack. II Is
suffered to live If female. but instantly
killed by the father IL il happens 20 be
male. The mother. however. sometimes
| manages 20 hide the little one till he is
able TO get about. and then send him
away before the big male catches sight
of him. In this way Ii often happens that
individual males are 10 be found living
by themselves in single bIessedness.
Now, getting tired OF solitude after
time. and. perhaps, believing in union as
a source OF strength, these bachelors often
join together and form a pack of their
own-as sort of club Then the fun be-
gins. They want wiyes-very naturally.
But how are they to get them? All the
female monkeys OF the country belong 10
the harem Of some big brute or other.
Clearly, the only solution is 10 attack
such a harem. kill the gotha (the aforesaid
big brute). and then divide the spells.
War is declared. The battle is fierce one
and often lasts several days. The party
attacked always tries 10 retreat, and often
traverses several jungles, fields, and even
villages.
Now, these battles cause sad havoc 10
the fields and orchards of the country.
and often prove positive danger 10 the
people; for, though monkeys seldom at
tack men, woe to the Iuckless one who
ventures TO come near them in their dead
har SoH y
hunger these packs are not TO be triaed
with.
Consequently, the object OF the natives
is to break up these packs by capturing
their leaders, Killing is against the dc
tates of conscience, but capture Is not.
especially as the monkey is liberated in
a short time. as will appear presently.
So when a pack is about the natives en-
pIoy the following method: Close to an
orchard a bit of level space IS selected,
and a hole dug in IL, about two feet deep
and six inches or eight inches in diameter.
A moose is made at one end OF a long,
stout cord, and placed over the mouth Of
the hole. The cord is then passed through
a pulley or ring attached TO tree close
to the house. and the other end held some
distance away by a concealed person. the
moose and about ten or fifteen feet OF the
a nice, tempting banana is placed in the
hole, and a number Of rotten ones-cov-
cred, however, with fresh skins-are
strewn all over the ground near the hole.
When the pack comes, the females are
too shy 10 venture out into the open space
near the house. But the big gotha is
brave fellow. He sees the bananas on the
ground. leaps down, takes up one-throws
il away in disgust. Then another-with
the same result. Suddenly he notices the
nice, tempting one in the hole and piunges
his arm in-immediately the cord Is pull
ed, the moose fastened on the arm close
to the shoulder and the monkey dragged
willy-nilly 70 the tree where the pulley.
or ring, is attached. Then the hiding
shikari comes forth. and circling round
and round the tree. with cord held tight
in his hand, binds the unfortunate monkey
safe and fast. all but the head. The pull
ley or ring is introduced not merely to
bind the monkey TO the tree, but also be- !
cause it would be highly dangerous to !
drag the Infatuated brute right up to a !
person.
The monkey however, is not killed. In |
stead, they lather his head and face, no |
special care being taken in selecting the /
finest soap or the purest water. The OPP |
grafton is an interesting one. and a source /
If great amusement-to the by-standers.
He submits to his fate with Eastern
His head is shaved clean as
4 billiard ball. and the face as well, nice
md smooth like a baby's. Then they let
him go. But, alasl such Is the vanity
IF Iifel His wives will not have him now
hat his beauty is gone, They disown
him completely; cut him dead. Nay. they
lrive him away from the pack with con-
with the end Of their tails-in
he absence Of domestic broomsticks And
hus. being without leader. the pack IS
soon broken up.-Strand Magazine.