For an hour this tantalizing work was continued, and the pursuers were
nearly exhausted. Leander, who was naturally a very slow-moving boy, was
more quickly tired than the others. When for at least the twentieth time
they thought they had the monkey within their grasp, and he darted to
the top of one of the tallest trees, Leander declared he could not take
another step, even though the life of the monkey and the success of the
circus depended upon it.
Of course it was not to be thought of that they should leave their band
there exhausted and alone, so Toby decided they should rest as long as
Mr. Stubbs's brother remained in the tree, and it was determined to
occupy the time by eating the luncheon Aunt Olive had prepared.
During the last ten minutes of the chase Leander's face had worn a very
gloomy expression; but it lightened wonderfully when the package of food
was opened, and Toby helped him to a large slice of bread and meat.
Nor was Leander the only one who looked with favor upon the food. Mr.
Stubbs's brother had been a close observer of all that was going on at
the foot of the tree in which he had taken refuge, and he showed every
disposition to make one of the eating party.
Seeing his evident hunger, Toby was sure it would be possible to capture
the monkey by means of the food, and he walked around the trunk of the
tree, holding a piece of gingerbread temptingly in his fingers.
The monkey came down from branch to branch, as if he had decided to
allow himself to be made a prisoner for the sake of the food; but just
as Toby was about to seize him, he jumped back with a cry that sounded
much as if he were laughing at the disappointment he had caused.
Then Joe tried his skill, coming about as near success as Toby had done;
and Leander was roused to action by the new phase the chase had assumed.
He too held out some food in order to give Mr. Stubbs's brother the
impression that all he had to do was to come and get it.
In thus trying the coaxing plan, all three of the boys got on one side
of the tree, while the greater part of their provisions was on the
opposite side.
The monkey descended again, first toward one boy and then toward
another, as if it were his purpose to allow all three to catch him, and
all were equally certain they were about to succeed, when Mr. Stubbs's
brother suddenly ran along the branches toward the food. Before it was
possible for any of the boys to intercept him, he had dropped to the
ground, seized two of the very largest pieces of cake, and was up in the
tree again so quickly that but for the cake he had in his paws it might
have been doubted whether or not he had been on the ground at all.
Now Mr. Stubbs's brother could laugh at his pursuers, if it is possible
for a monkey to laugh; for, without any thanks to them, he had a trifle
more than his share of the provisions, and was still at liberty.
"It ain't any use," said Joe, in despair, as he threw himself on the
ground, and attacked the luncheon savagely. "I don't believe we shall
ever get him; an' if we don't, it won't be much use for us to have our
show, for every real circus has a monkey."
"We _must_ catch him," replied Toby, mournfully, looking up into the
tree where his pet sat eating the stolen food with the greatest possible
enjoyment. "I wouldn't go home an' leave him here if I had to stay all
night."
"One might watch here while the others went back to the village an' got
every feller there to come out an' help," suggested Leander, who was
famous for having ideas so brilliant that no one could carry them into
execution.
"We're goin' away from home all the time this way," said Toby, after he
had studied the matter carefully, without paying any attention to the
suggestion made by Leander; "now let's get a little ways the other side
of the tree, an' when he comes down again he'll have to go toward home.
Even if we can't catch him, perhaps we can drive him into the village."
Even Leander could see the wisdom of this plan, and the party moved
their luncheon and themselves to the side of the tree opposite to that
on which they had approached it.
Of course there was nothing to do but wait Mr. Stubbs's brother's
pleasure in the matter, and he seemed to be in no haste to make a move.
He ate his cake in the most leisurely fashion possible, and then
appeared to be wonderfully interested in the leaves, for he would spend
several minutes pulling one apart, probably to see how it was made.
But he was obliged to come down at last, and he chose the time just as
Leander had settled himself comfortably for a nap, which did not tend to
make the band regard him with additional favor.
As Toby had thought, the monkey started back in the direction they had
come; and as he was going toward home, they did not make any effort to
hurry him. If they could not catch him, they could at least drive him,
and they were satisfied to let him go as slowly as he chose--a plan
which met with hearty approval from Leander.
For some time Mr. Stubbs's brother moved along as if it were his
greatest desire to be back at Uncle Daniel's again, and then Toby saw
him run along swiftly as if he had found something under a tree which
interested him greatly.
Afraid that the monkey had done this simply to avoid being driven, and
that he might dart through the under-brush and get in the rear of them
again, Toby ran forward quickly; but before he had taken more than a
dozen steps he heard piercing shrieks, which evidently came from the
monkey, while the commotion among the bushes indicated that a struggle
of some kind was taking place there.
With but one thought, and that for the safety of his pet, Toby ran ahead
regardless of the bushes that tore his clothing and scratched his face.
A struggle was going on, as he saw when he pulled the branches of the
trees away, and Mr. Stubbs's brother was getting decidedly the worst of
it.
A small, prickly ball curled up at the foot of the tree, and the monkey
striking at it savagely with his paws, while porcupine quills were
sticking in his face and body, told the whole story.
The monkey had seen the porcupine, and, much to his discomfort, had
tried to make that animal's acquaintance. As every boy knows, when one
of these animals is attacked it immediately rolls itself up into a ball,
with the quills or spines sticking straight out, and the attacking party
generally gets plentifully supplied with them in a very short time.
It was some moments before Toby could persuade his pet to stop trying to
inflict punishment when he was getting the greater part himself; but he
pulled him away at last, and the porcupine, unrolling himself with a
grunt of satisfaction, trotted away into the bushes.
There was no disposition on the part of Mr. Stubbs's brother to run away
again. He stood there looking as sad and discouraged as a monkey ought
to look who had commenced his day's work by stealing ducks, and
concluded it by fighting a porcupine.
[Illustration: MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER AFTER HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE
PORCUPINE.]
The quills stood out from his face, making him look as if sadly in need
of shaving, while on almost every inch of his body there was one of
these natural weapons, giving him a decidedly comical appearance.
As he stood there holding out his paws to Toby as if asking him to
extract the spines, and squinting down now and then at those in his
face, the boys did not try to restrain their laughter, which appeared to
make the inquisitive monkey very angry.
He screamed and scolded in the shrillest tones until Toby set about
picking out the quills for him, and Joe took a firm hold of his collar
to make sure he should not escape when he was relieved from the effects
of his introduction to the porcupine.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
[Illustration: PLAYING DOCTOR.]