Ouha, King of the Apes

by Félicien Champsaur

  In the course of an excursion into the interior of Borneo, buried in the heart of the virgin forest, we discovered the ruins of a temple whose antiquity is lost in the night of time. The idea immediately struck me of restoring it and taking up residence there.

  That whim, which cost me ten million dollars, saved me, because I have been occupied with that project for four months. I brought engineers and workers from India—the only ones capable of understanding the restoration—and had furniture, carpets and tapestries sent from Imbuk. Our friend Bennett has shown himself, on this occasion, the most devoted of friends. Bennett, my daughter, her governess and twenty carefully-chosen servants, who seem pleased with us, are sufficient for me. All that is lacking here, my dear doctor, is you—so I hope that you will soon find the opportunity to come and join us.

  Mabel, in particular, needs you. She is generous enough not to be bored by me, but she is now 17 years-old and I am anticipating in terror the moment when she will require another companion. On that subject, please send us news of that Archibald Wilson, who began a flirtation with your goddaughter six months ago. He is, I believe, a friend of yours, and an appropriate suitor in all respects.

  Here, my dear fellow, nature is splendid. Around Riddle-Temple I have cleared and ploughed up a few acres of land, but all around that is the forest, the virgin forest in all its virginity, wild and luxuriant.

  From here we can hear monkeys chattering and tigers howling. To prevent accidents, I’ve encircled my temple with a strong fence, but beyond it is primitive life in all its beauty. Every so often, Mabel, myself and a few servants—good hunters—set off into the forest, and we have brought back some superb tiger skins and elephant tusks.

  As for the orangutans, we have not yet made their acquaintance. Thus far, we have only encountered numerous varieties of monkeys. As one of the most ardent observers of our simian brethren, you could carry out studies here, for the forest is swarming with them. We already have ten of those forest-dwellers living inside the fence, who do not seem to regret the wilderness overmuch and are amusing companions for us. Moreover, you would find species of tropical vegetation that must be absolutely unknown in Europe.

  Well, my dear doctor, that ought to tempt you: flowers, plants, monkeys and your friends.

  Harry Smith Lauwer

  Mabel Smith Lauwer to Abraham Goldry

  Dear and beloved Godfather,

  I have snatched the pen from Papa’s hand in order to be the first to tell you our great news. We have captured an orangutan! A large, fine specimen; it seems that no one had ever seen one so big. He is taller than Papa, and you know that Papa is fairly tall—five foot nine. Personally, I think the orangutan is considerably more advanced than his fellows; he almost always walks upright and his arms only hang down to his knees. At the same time, his face has a Napoleonic expression and he sometimes moves his lips in a fashion that resembles a smile.

  As you can imagine, we didn’t take possession of the fellow without difficulty. It was a little native woman, of whom Papa recently made me a gift, who served as bait. I’d like to tell you that strange story, but it would take too long, and I’d rather wait until you’re here. The main thing is the capture of the hairy giant.

  Come to admire and study him, Godfather.

  In your last letter you told us that my suitor, Archibald Wilson, was still inconsolable; tell him that he has a successor and that I have embarked on an original flirtation with a great lord who answers to the name of Ouha. My friend Ouha can pronounce that word quite clearly, and we have understood that in my ape’s family (should I say ape?—he seems to me to be superior to many humans) Ouha must be his name, for he always answers to that appellation when one speaks to him, or pricks up his ears when anyone talks about him.

  We have already had him for a month, and Papa is thinking of taking off his chains, for he seems totally inoffensive and does everything one wants him to do with extreme skill.

  We’re expecting you, my dear Godfather. Ouha will interest you. Come soon! Ouha! Ouha!

  I love you dearly.

  Mabel

  II. The Enigmatic Ruins of a Buddhist Temple in Borneo

  Major William Bennett was resident in Borneo in a concession granted as recompense for valiant conduct. Having taken successive engagements since he was old enough to be a soldier, first with the East India Company and then with the Dutch, he had become an associate of Colonel Werspick, justly known as the hero of Borneo, and had campaigned with him.

  Pirates knows as “head-hunters”—because they took the heads of their enemies as trophies—made frequent landings in Java and the small islands subject to Dutch rule. In one of their recent expeditions, several Europeans who had fallen into their hands had been tortured atrociously. That action demanded vengeance. Colonel Werspick set off with two hundred European soldiers and four hundred coolies. The enemy, taking refuge in the heart of the island, protected by impenetrable woods and an insurmountable torrent, believed themselves to be sheltered from all danger.

  For twenty-four days and twenty-four nights, the little column cleared a passage with hatchets through the virgin forest, with very little food, sustaining themselves with quinine, and without building a fire. Maintaining the most profound silence, they arrived at the pirates’ camp and fell upon the unexpectedly. After a thirteen-hour battle, in spite of their numerical superiority, the twelve hundred pirates were utterly defeated.

  After that, Major Bennett had bamboo rafts constructed, and embarked on the torrent with his small army and four hundred prisoners. In twenty-four hours they made the journey that had taken them twenty-four terrible days before, but the rafts, carried through rocks, rapids and cataracts covered the hundred leagues of the journey and all reached the sea, where they were picked up by the Dutch fleet.

  It was in recompense for that exploit that Major William Bennett obtained a large concession some twenty miles from Imbuk. The location was a trifle hazardous, but the major had no fear of peril. Partly by virtue of his energy and partly by virtue of his spirit of justice and perfect honesty, he was able to overcome the fear of the natives and win their esteem. Soon, following his example, a few Europeans came to take up residence in the vicinity, and a sizeable colony was established on that island promontory. It was soon very prosperous.

  The major married Meg Sulten, the sister of an Irish colonist, Patrick Sulten—his neighbor, forty miles away from White House, Bennett’s home. From the viewpoint of administration and the direction of the plantation, his wife was a veritable pearl, but her character was exceedingly intractable. Always discontented with her husband and everything else, she never stopped grumbling, so she was feared by all the servants, her children—she gave the major two daughters and four sons—and the major himself, who gave in to all her caprices resignedly, for the sake of peace.

  As much to get away from his wife as to distract his guest, William Bennett organized long excursions into the surroundings. In the course of one of these trips, he took Harry Smith Lauwer and his daughter—an astonishing masterpiece as a model of American maidenhood—to the ruins of the temple of Issager-Bong. Situated about four hundred miles from Imbuk, in the heart of the virgin forest, the ruins were one of the rare marvels of Oriental architecture.

  Who had built the temple? To what worship was it devoted? No one knows. But the grandiose harmony of the sculptures and the minute detail in the majesty of the style testified to a surprising civilization many centuries in the past. Thousands of years had undoubtedly passed over that prodigious baobab of granite and multicolored marble, but such as the quality of the materials employed that they had resisted the action of time. Many of the floors and walls had been cracked by the pressure of an exuberant vegetation, but the stones had been loosened without breaking.

  How could the presence of such a monument be explained in the heart of an island whose wild appearance and uncultivated land seemed to indicate a condition close to primitive savagery? The volcanic nature of the Mal
aysian archipelago suggested the possibility that in some very distant epoch, the region had been subject to an upheaval. Once no doubt, all the islands had formed a single vast continent. Was it united to India?8 The Malaysian people, however, are not very similar to the Indian people; they seem rather to be a variety of the Indo-Chinese.

  In any case, such as it appeared to the excursionists, the temple was a marvel. Its three terraces, formed as a pyramid truncated at the summit, were supported by alternating columns of marble and porphyry. The shafts, fluted in spiral fashion, were terminated by curiously-sculpted capitals, all dissimilar. Porticos overloaded with delicate ornamentation, like lacework of stone and sunlight, gave entry into immense halls whose mosaic tiling, reminiscent in its richness of that of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, was still in good condition. In some places, to be sure, the vegetation had invaded open galleries, but it was easy to see that restoration would not be difficult.

  From the corner of his eye Major William Bennett followed the mounting enthusiasm in Harry Smith’s face, which virtually transfigured the blasé and world-weary billionaire.

  “What a pity,” he said to Mabel, “that such a blossoming of magnificence remains buried in the forest.”

  “It would be an even greater pity,” Mabel replied, “if the Vandals of Europe got their hands on it, to ornament their museums with its choice pieces. I remember the painful impression I had on seeing the fragments of the Parthenon in the British Museum. What would have been admirable, as a whole, beneath the pure sky of Greece, was paltry in its effect, thus mutilated, in a hall that was darkened that day by the London fog.”

  “It would require a billionaire of considerable artistry to carry out the repair and maintenance of this monumental masterpiece.”

  “Me!” cried Harry Smith.

  “You couldn’t find a nobler employment for your fortune. That, my dear fellow, is an idea worthy of an American like you. Furthermore, you will find, in the activity and distraction of that enterprise, a powerful distraction from your neurasthenia.”

  III. Mabel’s New Flirt

  Six weeks after receiving Mabel’s letter, Dr. Goldry made his appearance at Riddle-Temple. His first words were: “Where’s the orangutan?”

  “Have a little patience, my dear Godfather. First you’re going to learn how we captured my hero. I’ve been saving up the pleasure of telling that tale—you shan’t escape it.

  “Go on—but hurry.”

  “I hope, Doctor, that you have no intention of leaving us again after ten days or so?”

  “No, this time I’m free. I’m fifty-some years old. I’ve worked enough on behalf of others; now I want to live for my own pleasure. I’ve left an able and resourceful young man, Archibald Wilson, the task of liquidating my assets, and he’ll bring me the final settlement. I’m sure that he’ll do so diligently, and will be here soon.”

  “You don’t say!” Mabel exclaimed. “Archibald was my last flirt.”

  “And I hope that he will be the last,” muttered the doctor. “I don’t approve of this changeability.”

  “You don’t understand flirting at all—but leave Archibald to me. I’m determined to tell my tale, Doctor.”

  “I’m awaiting it with keen curiosity.”

  “Then I’ll begin. Once upon a time there was a king, who had a daughter he adored. Her name was Princess Dilou.”

  “You’re making fun of me, Mabel; I demand the story of the orangutan.”

  “If you interrupt me at every word, the story will last a long time. I’ll start again. Once upon a time, there was an African king, who was captured, with a hundred of his subjects, by a neighboring petty king and sold by him to a slave-trader, who sold him on to Monsieur James Cernum in the American South. That unfortunate king was named Muni-Wali. As he was far from being stupid, he performed such valuable services for his master that James Cernum freed him during the War of Secession. Now, James Cernum had a son, Lloyd, for whom he bought an important concession in Borneo, and James Cernum’s son brought King Muni-Wali—who was then about fifty years old—here with him. They both became neighbors, about fifty miles distant, of Major Bennett. Naturally, they became business associates and friends. Are you following me, Doctor?”

  “Perfectly.”

  “Among the major’s servants was a very pretty native of Sumatra, of whom the black monarch became enamored. He made his request, was gladly welcomed, and married the lovely Malay. They had two sons to begin with, and, five years later, a daughter—who, although as black as her father, became, like her mother, a very pretty girl. She’s the one about whom I was going to talk to you, Doctor: Princess Dilou, now aged about twenty.”

  “I’m all ears, hanging on your lips.”

  “Lloyd Cernum’s concession is, like Riddle-Temple, bordered by the virgin forest. Two years ago, on the advice of Muni-Wali, the colonist undertook the exploitation of timber and precious essences, which are abundant in these forests. There was, in consequence, a methodical deforestation, which promised handsome profits. Often, Princess Dilou went with her father and Lloyd Cernum to check up on the work in progress.

  “One day, the young girl, who was tired, fell asleep on the moss at the foot of a superb tulip-tree. When the explorers came back, the girl had disappeared. The forest was searched, in vain, for a week. The months went by; two years elapsed. From that day on, Muni-Wali, who had been very vigorous until then, was gripped by a discouragement that turned into a wasting disease, of which he died.”

  “And afterwards, Mabel? What happened next?”

  “Two months ago, we were on a excursion in the forest—Father, me and four of our hunters—when we heard screams: human screams. We launched ourselves in the direction from which the appeal as coming. Just in time! A superb tiger was stretching, while roaring, along the trunk of a coconut-tree in which a young black woman had taken refuge. I had the honor of firing the first shot, and hit the tiger in the ear, which fell dead. But then things took a different turn. Instead of coming toward us, the woman jumped down from her perch and ran away through the forest. Unfortunately for her, she hadn’t seen our four servants, and she ran straight into their arms. ‘Catch her!’ I shouted. We didn’t understand—we’d saved her life, but she was afraid of her rescuers. We had to tie her up in order to bring here. It was only after ten days that we succeeded in bringing her back somewhat to civilized life.”

  “I’ve guessed, Mabel—it was Dilou.”

  “She’d been brought up by orangutans and had lived with them for nearly two years. She’d forgotten her language and her family. It was only be reminding her of her history that Major Bennett, for whom we’d sent, was able to reawaken her memory.

  “Now, Dilou had been with us for three days when one of the hunters who had accompanied us came to tell my father that a free man was prowling around the temple.”

  “A free man?”

  “The Malays call the orangutans ‘free men’ because, according to legend, orangutans are human, like them, but much more intelligent. They could talk if they wanted to, but they pretend to be mute in order not to have to work.”

  “An amusing explanation.”

  “A number of us went out, and soon encountered a large ape—who, at the sight of us, took refuge in the forest. Later, when our protégée had, as I told you, recovered the memory of her past and was able to tell us about her sojourn among the anthropoids, we told her about the one that as always prowling around Riddle-Temple.”

  “‘That’s Ouha!’ she exclaimed. ‘That’s Ouha! I want to see him. I want to go with him.’

  “‘Damn!’ said my father. ‘If we let her go, she’ll be lost again—and I’ve written to Cernum’s to inform her brothers.’

  “‘I’ve got a better idea,’ said Bennett. ‘Let’s use her to attract the orangutan.’

  “‘Bravo! That way, we’ll have a domesticated great ape.’

  “We had some difficulty getting that idea into Dilou’s head, but finally, she came to sh
are our desire and followed our instructions. So she went out with us, and it wasn’t long before we heard the calls of the orangutan, who risked showing himself in order to see Dilou. If the silly girl hadn’t been restrained she’d certainly have run toward the orangutan, but she couldn’t, and she called out in her turn...

  “Hesitant at first, the terrible animal advanced, twirling an enormous club. But Dilou, entering into her role, set herself in front of us and made him understand that we were friends. Gradually, we beat a retreat toward Riddle-Temple, and the ape followed us...

  “Finally, we arrived at the palisade and went in, leaving the gate open behind us. We’d set up a table a hundred meters away. We sat down there. Half an hour went by. We made Dilou sing, so that the ape, hearing her voice, decided to come closer and closer. Suddenly, we saw his head appear over the palisade, at the corner of the gate. We pretended not to pay any attention to him. He became bolder, and crossed the threshold of Riddle-Temple, attracted by the sight of the fruits with which the table was covered.

  “Dilou picked up a banana and threw it to him, politely. He swallowed it immediately, then came further forward. Finally, after two hours, he was sitting a few meters away from us, eating all the fruits we gave him, one after another. From time to time he called out to Dilou, in an amorous plaint: ‘Ouha! Ouha! Ouha! Ouha!’ He seemed to have realized that she was with beings of the same species as herself, and, when we got up to go inside, he stood up too, apparently having momentarily had the idea of following us. Then he suddenly turned his back on us and fled back to the forest at top speed. We closed the gate behind him...

  “The following day, the same scenes were repeated, but he came much closer. In order to reassure him, we had left our rifles behind and were only armed with revolvers, of which he had no suspicion. In brief, after five days, he came into Riddle-Temple, and since then...”