CHAPTER XIV.
Sosee was led back to the settlement of the Lali, where she was the admiration of all the Apes. Her bright face, her beautiful form, and her shapely limbs fixed the attention of old and young. Her captors were particularly proud and received the congratulations of all the rest, who had now returned from the pursuit of the fugitives.
Oboo alone was unhappy. He was disappointed, both because he did not capture the girl, and because another did. One’s loss is greatest when it is another’s gain. He had visions of love which he must now exchange for those of jealousy. Quick to conceive a fancy he was slow to give it up. Started on a pursuit of love, he was never satisfied till he had achieved a success. And, to make his condition worse, the woman Oola, in whose charge Orlee had been given, and to whom Oboo had been making love, flew into a rage because he had allowed Orlee to escape.
“I am now wholly without a child,” she said; “you are no ape, to fail to overtake a boy encumbered with a girl. You sought my love only to betray me, and now I am without either lover or child; for with you I will have nothing more to do. You care less for me than for the girl whom you followed, instead of my child. If you ever make a soft face at me again, I will scratch out your eyes. I have lost everything through your unmonkey-like conduct.”
Oboo had not much to say, for he could not talk anything well except love, and that he could not talk in company. So he took her reproaches, but felt humiliated; and his embarrassment was increased by the raillery of the others, who said he could love but could not run, and that in the tussle with the girl, he had been beaten. They were so merry at his expense, all the company joining in, that he got his “monkey up,” and, becoming enraged, vented his ill humor on Ilo, the successful ape, who had brought back Sosee.
“You could not have caught her,” he said, “if I had not driven her into your arms.”
“You would never drive a girl into another’s arms, if you could avoid it,” replied Ilo; at which the company chattered merrily their assent.
“I should have caught her,” he said “had you not interfered. She was already mine, and you only took after her after she was captured.”