Popular Adventure Tales

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER XLII.

  THE FOREST FESTIVAL.

  In consequence of their having rested but poorly on the preceding night,it was determined that they should land at an early hour; and this theydid, choosing an open place on the shore. It was a very pretty spot, andthey could see that the woods in the background were comparatively open,as though there were some meadows or prairies between.

  These openings, however, had been caused by fire. There had been agrowth of cane. It had been burned off and as yet was not grown upagain, though the young reeds were making their appearance like a fieldof green wheat. Some places, and especially near the river, the groundwas still bare. This change in the landscape was quite agreeable to ourtravellers; so much so, that they resolved to exercise their limbs bytaking a short stroll; and, having finished their late dinner they setout. They all went together, leaving the balza and camp to take care ofthemselves.

  After walking a few hundred yards their ears were assailed by a confusednoise, as if all the animals in the forest had met and were holding a_conversazione_. Some low bushes prevented them from seeing what itmeant, but on pushing their way through, they saw whence and from whatsort of creatures the noise proceeded.

  Standing out in the open ground was a large and tall juvia-tree. Itsspreading branches were loaded with great globes as big as humanheads--each one, of course, full of delicious nuts. These were now ripe,and some of them had already fallen to the ground.

  Upon the ground an odd scene presented itself to the eyes of ourtravellers. Between birds and animals assembled there, there were notless than a dozen kinds, all as busy as they could be.

  First, then, there were animals of the rodent kind. These were pacas,agoutis and capivaras. The pacas were creatures a little larger thanhares, and not unlike them, except that their ears were shorter. Theywere whitish on the under parts, but above were of a dark brown colour,with rows of white spots along each side. They had whiskers like thecat, consisting of long white bristles; and their tails, like those ofhares, were scarcely visible. The agoutis bore a considerableresemblance to the pacas. Like these, they are also rodent animals, butless in size; and instead of being spotted, they are of a nearly uniformdark colour mixed with reddish brown.

  Both pacas and agoutis are found in most parts of tropical America.There are several species of each, and with the chinchillas andviscachas already described, they occupy the place in those regions thatthe hares and rabbits do in northern climates. Indeed, European settlersusually know them by the names of hare or rabbit, and hunt them in thesame way. The flesh of most species is very good eating, and they aretherefore much sought after both by the natives and colonists.

  Along with these, near the juvia-tree, were several capivaras, alreadynoticed. But still more singular creatures on the ground were themonkeys. Of these there were different kinds; but that which first drewthe attention of our party was the great Capuchin monkey. This creatureis not less than three feet in height and of a reddish maroon colour.Its body is entirely different from the "ateles" monkeys, being stouterand covered with a fuller coat of hair; and its tail is large and bushy,without any prehensile power. It is, in fact, less of a tree monkey thanthe _ateles_, although it also lives among the branches. The moststriking peculiarities of the Capuchin are its head and face. In theseit bears a stronger resemblance to the human being than any other monkeyin America.

  The top of its head is covered with a crop of coarse hair, that liessomewhat after the fashion of human hair; but, what most contributes tothe human expression is a large full beard and whiskers reaching down tothe breast, and arranged exactly after the fashion of the huge beardsworn by Orientals and some Frenchmen. There were only two of theseCapuchins on the ground--a male and female, for this species does notassociate in bands. The female one was easily distinguished by hersmaller size, and her beard was considerably less than that of the male.The beards seemed to be objects of special attention withboth--especially the male, as every now and then he was observed tostroke it down with his hand, just as a dandy may be seen doing with hismoustache or his well-brushed whiskers.

  Another peculiar habit of the Capuchins was noticed. There was a littlepool of water close by. Every now and then they ran to this pool andtook a drink from it. But in drinking they did not apply their lips tothe pool or lap like a dog. No; they lifted the water in the hollow oftheir hands--hence their specific name of _chiropotes_, or"hand-drinking monkeys." They raised the water to their lips with greatcare, taking pains not to let a drop of it fall on their preciousbeards. From this habit of going so often to quench their thirst, theCapuchin monkeys have in some parts got the name of "hard-drinkingmonkeys."

  Apart from these was a troop of monkeys of a very different species.They were nearly of the same size, but more of the shape of the"ateles;" and their long tails, naked underneath and curling downwardnear the points, showed that, like them too, they possessed prehensilepower in that member. Such was the fact, for they were "howlingmonkeys;" and some species of these can use the tail almost as adroitlyas the "ateles" themselves. Those that our travellers saw were the"guaribas," nearly black in colour, but with their hands covered withyellow hair, whence their name among the naturalists of "yellow-handedhowler."

  They were seated in a ring when first observed, and one--apparently thechief of the band--was haranguing the rest; but so rapid were hisarticulations, and so changeable the tones of his voice, that any onewould have thought the whole party were chattering together. This, ineffect, did occur at intervals, and then you might have heard them tothe distance of more than a mile. These creatures are enabled to producethis vast volume of voice in consequence of a hollow bony structure atthe root of the tongue, which acts as a drum, and which gives them theappearance of a swelling, or goitre, in the throat. This is common toall the howling monkeys as well as the guaribas.

  Besides the howlers there were other species--there were tamarins, andouistitis, and the black coaitas of the genus "ateles," all assembledaround the juvia-tree. There were parrots, and macaws, and othernut-eating birds. High above in the air soared the great eagle watchinghis opportunity to swoop down on the pacas or agoutis, his natural prey.It was altogether a singular assemblage of wild animals--a zoologicalgarden of the wilderness.

  Our party, concealed by bushes, looked on for some time. They noticedthat not one of all the living things was _under_ the tree. On thecontrary, they formed--monkeys, cavies, parrots, and all--a sort of ringaround it, but at such a distance that none of the branches were abovethem! Why was this? Guapo knew the reason well, and before leaving theirplace of observation the others had an explanation of it.

  While they stood gazing, one of the great globes was seen to fall fromthe tree above. The loud report as it struck the earth could have beenheard a long way off. It caused the whole assemblage of living creaturesto start. The macaws flapped their wings, the monkeys ran outward andthen stopped, and a simultaneous cry from the voices of both birds andbeasts echoed on all sides; and then there was a general chattering andscreaming, as though the fall of the great pericarp had given pleasureto all parties.

  It was very evident from this circumstance why both beasts and birdskept so far out from the tree. One of these fruits coming down like anine-pound shot would have crushed any of them to atoms. Indeed, soheavy are they, that one of them falling from a height of fifty or sixtyfeet will dash out the brains of a man; and the Indians who gather themgo under the trees with great wooden helmets that cover both the headand shoulders! It would be no boy's play to "go a nutting" in a wood ofjuvia-trees.

  But how did the monkeys and birds get at the nuts? Neither of thesecould break open the outer shell. This is full half an inch thick, andso hard that it can scarcely be cut with a saw. How could either monkeysor birds open it?--that was the question put to Guapo.

  "Watch them," said Guapo.

  All kept their eyes bent attentively on what was going on; and to theirastonishment they observed that neither the monkeys nor the birds had
anything to do with the opening of the shells. That was entirely thework of the rodent animals, the pacas, cavies, and agoutis. These withtheir fine cutting teeth laid open the thick pericarps, and whenever onewas seen to have succeeded, and the triangular nuts were scattered uponthe ground, then there was a general rush, and macaws, parrots, andmonkeys scrambled for a share.

  The monkeys, however, did their part of the work. Whenever a fruit fellfrom the tree, one or two of them, deputed by the others, were seen torun in and roll it out, all the while exhibiting symptoms of greatterror. They would then lift it in their hands, several of themtogether, and dash it repeatedly upon a stone. Sometimes, when the shellwas not a strong one, they succeeded in breaking it in this way; butoftener they were not able, and then it was left to the rodent animals,who were watched at their operations, and usually robbed of the fruitsof their labour. Such were the singular incidents witnessed at thisfestival of juvia-nuts.

  But the scene was brought to a sudden termination. A cry was heard thatrose far above all the other noises--a cry more terrible than thescreams of the parrots, or the shrieks of the howling monkeys--it wasthe cry of the jaguar! It came from a piece of wood close to thejuvia-trees, and the branches were heard to crackle as the dreadedutterer advanced.

  In a moment the ground was cleared of every creature. Even the wingedbirds had flew up from the spot, and perched upon the branches; thecavies took to the water; the pacas and agouties to their burrows; andthe monkeys to the tops of the adjacent trees; and nothing remained onthe ground but the empty shells of the juvias.

  Our party did not stay to notice the change. They, too, had been warnedby the roar of the tiger, and hastily leaving the spot, returned totheir place of encampment. On reaching it, they kindled a large circleof fire to keep them in safety during the night. They saw no more of thejaguar, although at intervals through the midnight hours, they wereawakened by his loud and savage cry, resounding through the openings ofthe forest.