"Let me remind you," I said, "in our situation, it would be dangerous to teach the dogs not to attack and kill, if they can, whatever unknown animals they meet. You will see that he will soon regard your little monkey as a member of our family. But we must not discourage him from his fancy for attacking wild beasts. Heaven has bestowed the dog on man to be his safeguard and ally, and the horse the same. A man on horseback, accompanied by a troop of well-trained dogs, need not fear any species of wild beasts, not even the lion nor the hyaena."
Thoughtfully, Fritz replied, "I feel fortunate that we are in the possession of two such creatures; but what a pity that the horses on board died during our voyage, and left us with only an ass."
"Let us take care how we treat even our ass with disdain," I told him. "I wish we had him safe on land. Fortunately he is large and strong. We may train him to do us the same services as are performed by the horse; and it is not improbable that he will improve under our care, given the excellent pasture we will find in this climate."
The tiny ape seated itself in the coolest way imaginable on Fritz's shoulder, I helped to carry his canes, and we were on some distance before Turk overtook us, looking uncommonly well pleased, and licking his chops as though recalling the memory of his feast.
He took no notice of the monkey, but it was very uneasy at sight of him, and scrambled down into Fritz's arms, which was so inconvenient to him that he devised a plan to relieve himself of his burden.
Calling Turk, and seriously enjoining obedience, he seated the monkey on his back, securing it there with a cord, and then putting a second string round the dog's neck that he might lead him, he put a loop of the knot into the comical rider's hand, saying gravely, `Having slain the parent, Mr. Turk, you will please to carry the son.'
At first this arrangement mightily displeased them both, but by and by they yielded to it quietly; the monkey especially amused us by riding along with the air of a person perfectly at his ease.
`We look just like a couple of mountebanks on their way to a fair with animals to exhibit,' said I. `What an outcry the children will make when we appear!'
My son inquired to what species of the monkey tribe I thought his protege belonged, which led to a good deal of talk on the subject, and conversation beguiling the way, we found ourselves ere long on the rocky margin of the stream and close to the rest of our party.
Juno was the first to be aware of our approach, and gave notice of it by loud barking, to which Turk replied with such hearty goodwill, that his little rider, terrified at the noise his steed was making, slipped from under the cord and fled to his refuge on Fritz's shoulder, where he regained his composure and settled himself comfortably.