“The youngster could do everything but speak. He was kept in a stable in the garden, specially made for him, the sides being composed of stout planks instead of the usual wattled split bamboo. The heavy teak door was fastened on the outside by a sliding bar of the same wood, running in iron staples. The paths and walks through the garden were made of ground rolled and pressed to the hardness of a macadamized road.
“Shortly after the young elephant's arrival and installation in his stable, the garden was found one morning to have been robbed during' the night, the mangoes especially suffering, a quantity of the best fruit having been taken. No traces were left by the thief or thieves, there were no footprints on the soft ground outside, nothing to indicate how an entrance had been made into the garden. This went on for several nights, and at last it was discovered that the young elephant was the thief. He used to raise the edge of the roof so as to put out his trank and slide the bolt; then there was no obstacle to prevent opening the door, and he opened it and went into the garden. After regaling himself on the fruit he returned to the stable, closed the door, slid the bolt into its place, let the edge of the roof fall to its proper position, and thus made it impossible for any one to know he had been out.”
CHAPTER VII.
Apes, Baboons and Monkeys—The Apes at Gibraltar—How they Saved the Fort from Surprise—A Monkey Fishing Party—The Monkey's Resemblance to Man—Illustrations of his Intelligence—A Monkey Theater—Dressing the Performers—The Four-handed Actors and What they Did—Interview with their Trainer—Mandrills and their Peculiarities—The Chacma and his Uses as a Watch-Dog—How Monkeys find Water—Differences between Old-World and New-World Monkeys—Monkeys with Prehensile Tails—The South American Howler—Sapajous and Spider Monkeys—Simian Intelligence—Organizing to Rob Gardens—A Bridge of Monkeys.
WHAT animal shall we consider now?” queried Mr. Graham at their next conversation.