In this apartment were at least fifty apes seated at two long tables, and all in a state of the most intense excitement. They had before them large quantities of paper, huge bottles of ink, and a numerous collection of quill-pens, which they were using with the same industry and energy as shown by the feeders of the fire. They leaned over the table like weary clerks, dipping their pens into the inkstands frequently, often mistaking their paws for the quills in the general hurry and confusion, and scribbling upon sheets of paper spread before them, as if trying to imitate, with the greatest possible fidelity, a party of overworked journalists.
With their quills, or fingers, they scratched incessantly, spattering ink in every direction, and sheet after sheet was covered with what looked not unlike a stenographer’s notes.
When the paper was sufficiently bespattered with ink it was passed to a venerable old monkey, who occupied a single desk at the further end of the room, and he, after examining it intently, affixed one of those little, red-paper seals which are used on legal documents. Then it was handed to a monkey stationed just outside the door, and by him passed along a line, precisely as the wood at the volcano had been, save that, so far as Philip could understand, the messengers were sent toward the sea-coast.
After the lapse of ten or fifteen minutes the same paper was returned to the house and handed to Goliah, who, with an air of greatest wisdom, scanned it carefully. Then he in turn passed it to another old ape in an adjoining room, who was probably a register of deeds, a recorder of wills, or whatever title is bestowed upon the keeper of monkey documents.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE BABOON TASK-MASTER.
From what he saw in this private counting-room Philip was convinced that the apes were trying to imitate scenes which they had witnessed before the unaccountable dispersion of the colony.
During Captain Seaworth’s stay upon the island, and while laying out work on the plantations, he most likely had occasion to transmit many written messages to his assistants, who were probably scattered over a considerable extent of territory; therefore Goliah and his companions must have seen very often that which they were portraying so grotesquely.
The big baboon, either from a desire to see the greatest possible number of servants at work or because the dispatches were not brought back fast enough to occupy all his time, had apparently decided to make Philip his chief clerk, for he gave orders—or so the prisoner supposed, from the cries which were uttered—and one of the scribblers vacated his seat at the table. To this the animal-trainer was led. A package of paper and several quill-pens were placed before him, and from the expressive gestures indulged in by all the party there could be no question but that he was commanded to cover the blank sheets with something which had a semblance to writing.