"Hamilcar with a monkey!" cried Hannibal. "Where did you get it? The very thing I want myself. I want to teach it to fight."
"I should like to have a monkey," said Hanno; "I would teach it to dance."
Bichri said he was sure he could make it learn the use of the bow; and Chamai declared it would be capital fun to teach it to make grimaces, and to mimic the mighty Jonah.
On all hands it was agreed that we must have a monkey on board the Ashtoreth.
Hamilcar told them that they would have to go down towards the trade-harbour, through the square where the rich merchant Hamoun resides; and at the corner of the street which leads to the temple of Moloch they would find a dealer who had a whole cargo to dispose of.
"You will have a choice there," he said; "there are apes of all sorts, all sizes, and all colours. You may have them brown, or red, or grey, or black, or green; with tails or without tails; with long hair, short hair, or no hair; wild or tame; only ask for what you want, and you will be sure to get it."
On our way down towards the trade-harbour we met Aminocles, quite drunk. He was being dragged along by a couple of sailors, singing at the top of their voices. He had learnt only too soon what was the use, or abuse, of the silver shekels.
We had no trouble in finding the monkey-dealer's, and Hanno, who had taken it upon himself to select the most intelligent monkey he could see, chose one which appeared to meet with general approval.
"And now what are we to call it?" said Hannibal, who liked everything to have a name.
"Don't you think," said Hanno, "that it has a very striking resemblance to old Gebal, the judge at Sidon? Look at it now. Isn't it like him when he rolls his eyes and scratches his poll, just before giving sentence?"