“She has wandered off from her keepers,” retorted Sosee. “Let us approach slowly.”
“Wait till it is darker,” said he. “We can then get near enough to recognize her without being recognized by them.”
“They pay no attention to the child,” continued she, “which is moving away from them; and if she goes much farther we can get near enough to see her distinctly without their noticing us.”
“They seem, however,” said he, “to be much interested in something. Such earnestness among monkeys has a meaning.”
“It cannot concern the child,” replied she, “and between their absorption and her distance, we can get her away while they are thinking about themselves.”
“I hate the looks of that baboon,” mused Koree.
“I like the looks of that child,” replied Sosee.
“I will get her if it is Orlee,” he said, “but I want to avoid a blow from that brute. We had better be sure it is Orlee before we take the risk of a broken head in finding out.”
“The child keeps upright far more than the others, which makes me think it is not theirs,” said Sosee.
“I should like to have the child just to avenge the blow I received,” said Koree; “but I don’t want to have a second blow to avenge.”