"`Faith, sir. We could not help it,' he exclaimed, `the baste of a monkey would set off to join his brothers in the bush, and if we had not gone after him they would have made a hathen of him to a certainty.' "`I suppose, then, Master Gerald, you consider that he has become a Christian under your instruction?' "`Well, sir,' answered Gerald, looking up with a comical expression, which reminded me of an old shipmate of mine, `he is as good a Christian, any how, as many who call themselves so, and considering that he has got a tail he is a remarkable civilised baste.' "`Well, I will overlook your offence of quitting the ship without permission,' I said, trying to keep from laughing. `You were not aware probably that you were to be left among the tops of the trees when we hauled off from them? I don't accuse you of intending to desert.' "`Thank you, sir. We will promise not to go monkey-hunting again, without your leave,' answered the two midshipmen in chorus. "As I was in no hurry to get on board, and the youngsters were not likely to suffer from sitting in their wet clothes, I paddled away for some distance among the trees. The greatest number were palms, but there were others of all descriptions, of which I am unable even to give the names. After going a little way we came to a somewhat more open space, when we heard a peculiar chattering overhead, while showers of sticks came pattering down on our heads. On looking up to ascertain the cause, we saw, high above up, among the tops of the tallest trees a whole clan of large bushy-tailed monkeys; there must have been a hundred or more, some old, and some young, gambolling about and playing all sorts of pranks. No sooner did they catch sight of us than they stopped, and scampered off helter-skelter, the old ones catching hold of the young ones in their arms, all equally anxious to make their escape. Some took prodigious leaps, catching the branches with their long tails, and, after a swing or two, throwing themselves to another branch, and so made their way amid the boughs till the whole of them were quickly lost to sight. They, however, had not gone far, when Tom's quick eyes detected several bushy faces grinning out from among the boughs where they had concealed themselves. We paddled on a short distance and then remained quiet, when in a few minutes, first one bolder than the rest came out from his hiding-place, and then another, and another, uttering sharp cries; presently the whole troop came back, and began amusing themselves as before, the spot for some reason or other suiting their tastes. It was great fun, I confess, and Tom and Gerald enjoyed it immensely. They declared that the monkeys were the same fellows who came to look at them and had threatened, as they supposed, to make them prisoners. I had paddled for some distance into the forest when I considered that it was time to turn back, for the sun was getting low;