St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-03-15
KipIing's Best Short Story.

cage dashed to the sheep pen be
gan the discussion. The night wa
stillingly hot, and as Hans Breitmanl
and passed him, dragging our bed
ding to the forepeak of the steamer
he reused himself and chartered OBJ
scenely. He had been caught some
where in the Malayan Archipelago
and was going to England to be ex
hibited at 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 il
your Cosmos"
The orang-outang's arm slid out
negligently from between the bars
No one would have believed that i,
would make sudden snake.like rush
at the Germans breast. The thin
silk OF the sleeping suit tore out
Hans stepped back unconcernedly, to
pluck banana from a bunch hang.
ing close to one of the boats.
TOO much Ego" said he peeline
the fruit and offering it to the Gagged
devil, who was rending the silk to
tatters.
"If he was out now dere would not
be much of us left hereabouts," said
Hans lazily. "He screams good.
See, now, how shall tame him when
he stops himself"
There was a pause in the outcry,
and from Hans mouth came an imi-
tation OF a snakes hiss, so perfect
that l almost sprang to my feet. The
sustained murderous sound ran
along the deck, and the wrenching
at the bars ceased. The orang-out-
ang was quaking in an ecstasy Of
pure terror.
dot stop him." said Hans. 81
learned dot trick in Mogoung Tan
jong when / was collecting fiddle
monkeys for some people in Berlin.
Are you asleep, or will you listen, and
l will tell you dale dot you shall
not pelief?"
"There is no tale in the wide world
that | can't believe" l said.
Good! When l was collecting dose
fiddle monkeys-it was in 70 or 80,
und | was in der islands of der Arch
ipeligo-over dere in der dark"-he
pointed southwark to New Guinea
generally -" Mein Colt! l would
sooner collect life red devils than lid
die monkeys. was dere for nearly
a year. and dere found man dot
was called Bertran. He was a
Frenchman, und he was a good man
naturalist to the bone. Dey said
he was an escaped convict, but he
was naturalist, and dot was enough
for me. He would call all der life
beasts from der forests, and dey
would come.
"Und dot man, who was king of
beasts tanner men, he had in der
house shush such anoder as dot
devil.animal in der cage "a great
orang-outang dot thought he was a
man. He hat found him when he
was a child der orang-outaug-and
he was child and brother and opera
comique all round to Bertran. He
had his room in dot house-not a
cage, but a room-mit a bed and
sheets, and he would 60 to bed and
get up in the morning and smoke his
cigar and eat his dinner nit Bertran,
and walk NIT him hand-in-hand,
which was most horrible. Colt He
was not a beast; he was a man, and
he talked to Bertran, und Bertran
comprehended, for have seen dem.
Und he was always politeful to me
except when I talk too long to Bert.
ran, und say nodings at all to him.
Den he would pull me away dis
great, dark devil, NIT his enormous
paws-shush as | was a child; and
Bimi, der orang-outang half under
stood us both, NIT his cigar between
his big dog teeth und der blue gum
III was dere year, dere und at del
oder islands-somedimes for monkeys
and sometimes for butterflies unc
orchits. One time Bertran says to
me dot he will be married, because hi
hat found a girl dot was goot. Der
he go off counting der girl-she wa.
a half-caste French girl-very pretty
Half you got a new light for my
cigar? Oot! Very pretty. Only I say
'Haf you thought of Bimi? If h
pulls me away when l talk to you
what will he do to your wife, H.
will pull her to pieces. II was you
Bertran, would gif my wife for we'd
ding present der stuff figure of Bimi.
By dot time had learned someding
about der monkey peoples. Shoe
him? ? says Bertran. He is you
beast, 1 said; if he was mine h
would be shot now
Den | felt at der back of my necl
der fingers of Bimi. Mein Colt!
tell you dot he talked through dos
fingers. 1t was der deaf-and-duml
alphabet all complete. He slide hi
hairy arm round my neck, and he til
up my chin and look into my face
shust to see if understood his tall
so we'll as he understood me.
"'See now dere |! says Bertrap, 'un
you would shoot him while he is cud
ding you? Dot is der Teuton ir
grate!
"But knew dot l had made Bin
life's enemy, because his fingers he
talk murder through the back of m
neck. Next dime l see Bimi dere wa
a pistol in my belt, uud he touch
, once; and l open der breech to sho,
him il was loaded. He hat seen de