The Wonder Island Boys | Page 6

The other, in the excitement, got too far beyond the
reach of George, who, in his eagerness, was too busy watching Harry's
captive to notice the other animal, and before he could reach the tree
one of the grown orangs had reached the ground, gathered up the infant
and again sprang up the tree.

"Give it some honey," said the Professor, laughing.
"What are the things good for, anyway?" asked Harry.
[Illustration: Fig 1. THE ORANG-OUTAN]
"Of course, you are not compelled to keep it, but while you have it feed
and treat it well."
"What does it eat?"
"Principally nuts and fruit, as well as vegetables. If properly prepared
they will eat almost everything man eats, except meats."
At first, as a matter of curiosity, they restrained him, and as it was near
camping time for the night, the Professor suggested that it would be
well to make camp close to the tree which had harbored the orang
family.
After a good supper the Baby nestled up in the mattress, and was sound
asleep in fifteen minutes. When the boys arranged the mattresses for
the night, Baby did not seem at all disturbed, and he slept peacefully
until morning.
After breakfast no effort was made to deprive the Baby of its liberty,
but no attempt was made on his part to leave the wagon. He relished
the honey and the other delicacies, all of which were undoubtedly, a
surprise to him.
The parent orangs were in sight on the trees beyond, but made no
demonstrations, although they saw the young one crawling and
swinging on and around the wagon.
You may be sure that the petting Baby got was enough to spoil any
infant. Probably, the parents saw the affection lavished on it, or knew
that it was not curtailed of its liberty.
When they again set out on the march Baby kept a firm hold on the
mattress, or lazily swung from the cross bars of the wagon top. It was

having the time of its life.
Before noon of the next day, Baby began to act strangely. It would
jump first to one side, then to the other. Harry, who was in the lead,
was called up, and the wagon stopped. The antics of Baby looked like
fear. Before Harry reached the wagon the Professor and George heard a
shot, and the next moment something struck the canvas top and rolled
to the ground. It was up in an instant and sprang to the back of one of
the yaks, before the Professor, who was driving, could realize what was
happening.
George was off the wagon in an instant, and seeing the strange animal
on the back of the yak, drew his gun, and two shots rang out almost at
the same instant.
When Harry turned back, at the call of the Professor, he saw the animal
in the tree, which was then alongside of the wagon, and without waiting
to give a warning, had shot at it, the bullet going through its forelegs.
The result was it fell, striking the wagon, rolled over, and then sprang
to the back of the yak. George's nimbleness in jumping from the wagon,
and running around, enabled him to get in a shot at the same time the
Professor fired. Both of their shots took effect, and it rolled to the
ground.
"What is it?" asked George.
"A wildcat; no wonder the poor Baby was frightened!"
"How did Baby, inside of the wagon, know of the cat?"
"The wildcat is the mortal enemy of the orang-outan. While they fear to
encounter the grown animals, they will attack the young, and the
orangs seem to have the instinct of danger from that source born in
them."
The Baby's nerves were unstrung with the din of the guns, and it was an
hour before he could be calmed down. The wildcat was skinned, and it
was days before the orang could be reconciled to the sight of the pelt or

the smell of the animal.
"That is an instinct in certain animals. Nature has provided them with
warnings of danger when their enemies are near."
"What a short tail the cat has," remarked George; "so unlike the tame
cat."
"That, and the head, which is much larger and flatter than the common
cat, as well as the shorter legs, show the distinguishing differences. Its
color, as this one is, uniformly grayish-brown, with stripes running
around the body, is a peculiarity found in the tame species, known as
the 'tiger-cat,' to which they are the most closely allied."
Before nightfall fairly level ground was reached, and this being the
third day, they judged their location was fully sixty miles due west of
the Cataract. Far to the south and southeast the mountains could be
distinctly seen,