Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-05-27
81 W. ].
By RUDYARD KIPLING.

The orang-outang in the big iron
cage lashed to the sheep pen began the
discussion. The night was stifingly
hot, and as Hans Breitmann and pass
ed him, dragging our bedding to the
fore peak of the steamer, he reused him,
self and chartered obscenely. He had
been caught somewhere in the Malayan
archipelago and was going to England
to be exhibited at a shilling head.
1t would be we'll for you, mine
friend, if You was a fiddle seasick, /"
said Hans Breitmann, pausing by the
cage "You hat too much ego in your
cosmos.
The orang- outang' arm slid out neg
ligently from between the bars. No one
would have believed that it would make
sudden snakelike rush at the Ger
man S breast. The thin silk of the sleep
ing suit tore out. Hans stepped back
unconcernedly to pluck banana from
bunch hanging close to one of the
boats.
'"Too much ego, said he, peeling
the fruit and offering it to the Gagged
devil, who was rending the silk to tat
tiers.
'If he was out now, dere would not
be much of us left hereabouts, y said
Hans lazily. He screams good. See
now how I shall tame him when he
stops himself -
There was pause in the outcry, and
frnYO Honc' mouth oopoa on ;,ooi+o+io,,
of snakes hiss, so perfect that al
most sprang to my feet. The sustained
murderous sound ran along the deck,
and the wrenching at the bars ceased.
The orang-outang was quaking in an
ecstasy of pure terror.
''Dot stop him, said Hans. 81
learned dot trick in Mogoung Tanjong
when I was collecting fiddle monkeys
for some peoples in Berlin. Are you
asleep, or will you listen, und I will
tell a dale dot you shall not pelief?"
'"Ihere is no tale in the wide world
that I can't believe, l said.
Good When l was collecting dose
fiddle monkeys-it was in 1879 or 1880
-und was in der islands of der archi-
pelago, over dere in der he
pointed southwark to New gen
orally mein Gott I " oner
collect life red devils than mon
keys. I was dere for nearly year, und
dere found man dot was called Ber-
tran. He was a Frenchman, und he
was good naturalist to der bone.
Dey said he was an escaped convict, but
he was naturalist und dot was enough
for me. He would call all der life beasts
from der forests, und dey would come.
"Und dot man, who was king of
beasts tanner men, he had in der house
shust such anoder as dot devil animal
in der cage-a great orang -outang dot
thought he was man. He hat found
him when he was child-der orang-
he was child und brother
und opera comique all round to Ber
tran. He had his room in dot house
not cage, but a room-mit bed und
sheets, und he would go to bed ind get 1
up in der morning und smoke his cigar
und eat his dinner NIT Bertran und
walk NIT him hand in hand, which was
most horrible. Colt He was not a
beast. He was man, und he talked to
Bertran, und Bertran comprehended,
for I hat seen dem. Und he was al
ways politeful to me except when talk |
too long to Bertran und say holdings at !
al to him Den he would pull me away
dis great, dark devil, nit his enor
nous paws-shust as if was child.
md Bimi, der orang-outang, hat I'M
lerstood US both, nit his cigar between
lis big dog teeth und der blue gum. -
II was dere year-dere und at der |
der islands sometimes for monkeys
Ind sometimes for butterflies und or
hits One time Bertran says to me dot |
he will be married, because he haf
ound a girl dot was goot. Den he go
IF counting der girl-she was half
:aste French girl-very pretty. Haf you
,ot new light for my cigar? Oof
very pretty Only I say: 'Haf you
bought of Bimi? If he pulls me away
when talk to you, what will he do to
7our wife? He will pull her in pieces.
f was you, Bertran, would gif my
wife for wedding present der stuff fig
Ire of Bimi. By dot time had learned
about der monkey peoples.
Shoot him ?? says Bertran, He is your
BEAST I said IF he wcs mine he would
De shot now.
"Den I felt at der back of my neck
Ter fingers of Bimi Mein Gott tell
you dot he talked through dose fingers.
t was der deaf ind dumb alphabet all
complete He slide his hairy arm round
ny neck. ind he tilt up my chin und
ook into my face, shust to see if I'M
lerstood his talk so well as he under
TODD mine.
"'See now derel says Bertran. 'Und
,ou would shoot him while he is cud-
ling you? Dot is der Teuton ingrate!'
''But knew dot hat made Bimi
ife's enemy, because his fingers hat talk
murder through der back of my neck.
1ext dime / see Bimi dere was pistol
n my belt, und he touch it once, und
pen der breech to show him it was
oaded He hat seen der fiddle monkeys
,illed in der woods, und he understood
$50 Bertran he was married. und he
orgot clean about Bimi dot was skip