"Oh, here you are!" he cried to Mappo. "I was afraid you had run away again."
"No! No!" chattered Mappo, in his own language.
Mappo reached up, and put his arms around the keeper's neck. Just then the woman cried again:
"My baby! Oh, my baby is left behind in the room, and the stairs are all on fire. How can I get him?"
"What, is there a baby in the house?" cried Mappo's trainer.
"Yes. In that room where the window is," she said. "Oh, but we can't get him."
"Yes, I think we can!" said the circus man. "Mappo, my monkey is very strong, and he is a good climber. There is a rain-water pipe going up the side of the house, close to the window. I'll send my monkey up the pipe, and he can go in through the window, get the baby, and bring it down to you."
"Oh, a monkey could never do that!" sobbed the woman.
"Yes, my monkey can," the man replied. "Here, Mappo!" he called. "Up you go!" and he pointed to the rain-water pipe on the side of the house. "Go in the window and get the baby—get the little one and bring her safely down."
"Yes, yes!" chattered Mappo, only he spoke in his language and the man talked as we talk. But Mappo understood. Many times he had been sent up rain-water pipes by the hand-organ man. Of course this was a bit different, for this house was on fire. But there were not many flames on the side where the pipe was.