"My Neighbour's Daughter."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13733, 24 October 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

"My Neighbour's Daughter."

(An Allegory) Bv E. H. Siol De La Rev. A t-urous little story, the moral of which does not . lie ; too obtrusively on the surface.'- '■ Even if the moral ne entirely overlooked, there still remains a, very large residue of interest. ; '• He is dangerous—extremely so, even for me. That ,i? \ why the bars of his cage, are so close together." added the head-keeper, with a facetious laugh over his pepper-and-salt beard. • - What a big, horrJd brute •" ejaculated the two smartly-dressed young women, gathering their" drefcts as if to secure themselves in silk furls and a readiness of prompt retreat—iron liars are but inadsquate screens. -A horrid brute!" echoed the young matt by his sidft in a subdued drawl. fixed his^eye-glacs•':■ his top hat shone gloriously. - : '• PPerfectly loathing !" corrected the echo inanely. Xeyertheiess all gaaed at- the mon:-U-r for ?ome iime ; for v'-re attracts. And he from behind his liars answered look for look, glaring with evident ■intent. Expressions of strong disgust were the comment of one and all. Xot only becaufe he was a caricature of man—really be resembled a monkeyiied dog than anything else—but also because he. was a living picture of all the" more bu-.tial pas; sions of-the human being—and felt- man ro be his brother.

. "He was 'a mandrill ape of Africa: an eknxnl.il mad* to' breathe and lire imprisoned in sentient life. As "a proof eonelusive'of the lack of beauty in Xature, there was noihing to be admired even in his ugl-Wfi. He was vice made ugly, grimacing in a charlatan garb befitting a clown. The fur of his body was a dirty brown grey: round the head the coarse hair formed a sort'of collar.- The skin of his face and snout was ■■naked, ribbed, lengthwise, and coloured de:<p blue- with a loud streak of red in violent, contrast. The cheeks had large bony prominence;, the canine teeth were enormous —larger than- those of a full-grown lion. Behind, the honvble callosities had the same colouring as the /face. When moved by strong passion the azure of the face deepened "and the red became a violentr scarlet : the hair ori his low forehead- rose; che deep-sunk gimlet eyes glistened fierce n-ilh huts unfathomable, and' the mighty frame trembled. But except for a mufnVd grunt; scarcely'audible, he never uttered a sound. He was mute: Thatpiggish grunt, and. these-.horrible, revolting gestures; were his mode of expression. .-A. . lisgusting brute!' 'But It's strength' was. immense and out-'of all proportion to his dzp, 'his activity abnormal. .-Th? Jluteike, tapering limbs ■ and small paw-hands bespoke of lighting quickness; the tremendous; jaws, the huge neck arid compact gnome frame of power and endurance. With that the cunning ,of a manioc : and .he courage of' a desperado;'- a majesty ■among apes, a spirit of evil for evil's sake indeed. ■' "\ He "was tin* largest■■'- mandrill known, and his name was King Mandrill. At night he would dream uncouth dreams. Flashes of existences he had lived before bis eoul became that of on ipe; wild fancies he could not understand. Hie present body was as, a, prison ..within a prison,-a life punishment for lives of others he had passed through, long, long ago. He al-.o had been a man; this he iimly grasped. He dreaded these mysterious nightmares because they made him feel- au" ape no longer, but more like'another biihg than he cared to be. The hyena's wailing cry or the. lion's roar in the next- house but one came as a relief and started more earthly dreams. We saw the West Afrcan wilderness lit up by ife morning sun, the thick dew-mist rising in long white wavtis • above the bare, pinnacle of rocks which formed his night retreat. Then came, the hunt for scorpions and grubs; the fierce fights with panthers and mandril males; and his lordly rule as Sultan of a harem''of wives. Another ruled tht re/now! —and he would awake with a start, wifeless: .all the. •glories'of the free jungle dwindling into a barred cage and an over-heated monkeyhouse. He often wondered how long it would last!

He was accustomed to be feared by man ; at once neighbour, brother, incarnation, and enemy. ~ In his native country the black women lived ; n terror of the fiend; and between male-man and maleape it was war to the knife. Now, as a prisoner kept for idle -show, he was gin : gerlv treated at all times, and especially so when his cage had to he cleaned. s Then a strong grating partition war, so placed as to divide the cage >n two. and one half of the d.n was cleaned at a time. lie understood all 'his. for his intelligencewas extraordinary. I believe he could almost have- read" the notice " Dangerous" plate-d in evidence near hi.* prison* could he but have seen : t.

Tiie head-keeper'.* daughter was a dainiv little maid who did not. like the monkey-house bceau'-o it smelt not nice, ■md m'onkeve. are ugly things.. One day, howevei, siio ot rolled in, a banana m her hand. She looked at King Mandrill curiously; the blue and red of his face attracted her, and she thought hm a funny creature—because die understood not. It struck her that perhaps he want.-d that banana. In her innocence she pished Ilkfruit through the bars of the cage. He grew almost frantic with .suppressed cunning a/, he tried to catch hold of her hand. What would have happened had he hucreeded is horrible to imagine, but iha liars of the cage were too close togeUicito allow his paw to pais, and fate was merciful in staying her t'ny hand by allowing the banana to drop in easily. \vben he saw that he had failed In- became mad. j dashing about ids den. shaking the tough j iron bar* until they rattled again, 'then, in *-h..-r sp'te. he "ate that banana. The little girl applauded and clapped h.r hand*. He w.ii, a tunny creature—because sin- faded to understand. Day after day she came with some fruit just to ye.- his antics. Hut gradually a (hinge came over hint. She- raw the change and did not re«v« t i'-: and he felt the change. She grew fond of " l'.a----boo," as she'called hint; and lie realise I a thing he could not t was like mi.- of hi-: nighlmar...-, made h-nutituk He did not won.ler how long it would la.«, for he kn-w it as a thing f«r eve;-. Tile day came when the bars of hi* cage might, have been wide enough apart for his :l tm to pass, rind v.-t that little gill would ha v.- b.en safe." And the day came wh-.-n : the space b. tween the bats night have been ;,,. wide as tin- world, and y.-t that litt!.- girl would not have b. >-o harmed. At last, on.- dav, h-r hand slipped thioiigh ihc har-.. and" he took gently th- little lingers, and ti-Led them. She daiil-d. .„ j: awaken, i! to maidenly .ovo--. ..n.l dr.-w h.r hand awav h..-iiiy. He looked sad. Thm -he latigh-d at her ..wn (.-.1-. and. bodtv putting both hand* through the bats, patted the ioimidaid- lead |..w ,-r,d !»:oie her. That night !i - .iteamt I li>- till. ..nth dreams mote vivid t|, :i ,i v.-e,..!. <•" ;h- l'>.i:'s roar f.01.-d to i.ea'd th- jimi-l-piitut.,. He dimly :..w a injur.- le-cmb--111- that of t he- iitl!- git!- the "gut- of a ! !„■!!- utio h- stlil more dimly M-..iio-.i j t|.,.j l.i.t and iiurr.d him in an < v-' • n> e : :ha'- lia 1 !• -n id. ..nd yet «.e. imt hj.». I -V..U mil-I not plav «-ti. Iha! he..-t>. < V •'tie fool 1 '- cvel.-iilli-l Si.- he..d ke. p. i d Mi.-.hmg Ike U>t!- ;: 'I ■'«•••>■■ j • M,1.„. won't hurt me W-.:h! y.„. l:-,l.oo'" am.- pto-.-stiOg.y. Km.: M.-m!r,ll !..oi.-d a' t r, ; - 1..',- : 1 I. :t man. tike a!! im :*. •.'•"•> :.-. . ..- my An riMliy --th'. b-l_him by a gt.'-e .- ~,ai '' ,'.,..! ..'.'uhuMoenl to th- '.-ie-r .-dihom/ti . Km- Mandril explain-1 i.'.: flat-on »--■

tween them in another way; but now he bated 'hat- head-keeper with an intense "desire' his' ajw-soul li-.i'l ik vcr frit before. He" again wondered how UrnsV ii would -last.'.°- •'■- '■.',' ." ' ; ;

For three days the little' girl • did -. not come. He mourned, and at night dreamt the nightmares about that other being who appeared to him through lives endlew in number. With the knell of the' lion's inar'th? hot jungle, came ■' scarcely' as a relief; he. preferred now the unhappy dreams with that central figure of Fate;. . When she eanie again' he fek a. greatanxiety lest she should 'have forgotten him'."* Would she comeand pass Iter hand through theb:m>? Would she stroke his head? That- iron-bound: frontier .of railing!; he had cursed was now" a supreme test of her affection for - him. ''.He''almost loved that cold, unyielding metal.'

She- looked shyly round to see whether anyone was near; then hurrie3K% as if agraid. she shoved two bananas into the cage. He waited withoutrnov'ig. At last the tiny hands «ime and stroked him again.

" Voor, good : Baboo. Why .'should the little girl lie afraid of.you?"

At Isngth the convict's chance came to him. One" dark ri : glit he tor<> tip with his teeth Ihe plank'''flooring, of his i-age. and, exerting, all. his tremendous flrewjth. wrenched off the horizontal lower bar. The opening was small, hut he Had the suppleness of an acrobat'; and next moment he was free! " '

The first, use he made of his freedom wao. to engage in a battle royal with two huge South African h : gh . veldt baboons. He did this simply to see whether he ;was •still the fighter "of old; and the baboons had been obnoxious neighbours. It would have been a grand fight "had it tr-avoured less of premeditated murder. Six eyes shone in the darkness; there were .ferocious grunts; loud j abbe-rings, of fright; throaty gurglings for mercy. King Mandrill "killed his opponents; arid thirn squeezing his burly body once more through, the "bent cage ... bars, he made for the half-open door of ; the monkeyhouse with scarcelr a scratch on, him.

Aj lie passed neir the lion house the. lon growl ot ,i panther made- him feel a dcae to try another deith grapple ti itii this arch-enemy of the monkey race But the door": woe firmly locked, ind the fionlage of the lion-house was enclosed in gl.ios For anything above the greed of a burglar or below the blind imsane fury of a lhinoceros- glavs has a magic incomprehensible Hence he delisted.

Xest mommg he was found after a. long li s gansh Afnc.in wai-paint looking suangely foreign among the bobei hues of i melancholy -Vorwegiin hr Ihe hcie wis phyed on htm. and ho obliged, the kcpeih, who belt a retreat .it ,i \ery fWended double, lgnominiously lea\ing their w<-ipon behind iliem—but it is. better to'face a mad .dog than a mad dc\l As if to mock liis tormentors he drank sonic of the water the hose was squirting on the ground, and then ho cle\ erh spik *d an artillery he could netthei use noi take awai by teanng the" brass t,pout oil the ho-e After that, perfectly untmhei with lh" couite of events, he installed him self _on a beautiful, artificial rockery that dimly lemmded him of his African* home The weathei was -warm, he had half a. mmd to indulge in a hunt, ju-.t for lun The keepets were but dull sport A lirge portabk cage, all uncanny doors and spnngs, was leUhe.i ami phced n neai to hun as> wis coceistcnt with the sifety of those who totalled the tiap—.l good fifty yaids Some tempting food was placed in'idc. and the cirners le tned

But King Mandrill wa« not to be caught null so gio>=b a bait His knowledge of cages was profound. In Africa—long ago to him now—he had been ciught m a similar cige—juet btich .i portable, open, innocent looking om—ind since ihen h*. experience of birs and doors had Ixen somen hit uniformly disentitling He preferred his birthright of independence to a moss of e\e» the besr poti.ige. md he patiently awaited dcrelnpunnis. He u tuilli yawned—it was wearisome to lie thought <■« stupid ' Fetch thtf dogi-,. ' nnl the Direuoi of the Gardens" • Ihev will i>cutiy him soon enough into the cage ' The l)t lector, .i fr.cnd of mine, wis a gold spec t.itled «-i i-ntisi who hid re id through sc.\eial degree* of .itn.nmcut, and hud writ ten a thick, unsaleable book —all about monkev nuts

I'h? dogs were two Danish hoar-hounds', mastiffs with grey; houndlike frames, who wore u match for any hear, and who had once cowed a; cowardly lion into abject submission. Their reputation as fighters was only equ.-.lled by their eagerness to light, and they were accustomed to act together. There are dogs that can tackle and overcome a pant her, or even a baboon, single-handed— I had had some myself—hut a mandrill is something uncommon in the fighting line, and, although it wan two to on.', I wondered what would happen. As fioon as King Mandrill saw the dogs straining at the lashes he rose on all fours, The colouring of Ids hideous mask became intense; the hairs of his bead and body bristled ; bw tail rotie in an elegant tea-pot handle- curve: his' h-tt fore-paw struck the ground in defiance. H«- looked euperb in a m-klest* challenge that saw dt sp r.it«- odds only to tight them. If h.- was vice, he was also pluck incarnate :• and scarcely ' had the hoonds been let loose when, leaping fto'm his point of vantage, he went out to meet tluni. AVha' wotil.l have happened if tht- Jit*>t hound had not in bin eagerness overleapt his mark is hard to say. But, when lighting. King Mandrill ma'de no mi. take-. Hefore the dog could recover and double. Hitape'with an iron jaw .aught him in tho (lank u.-ar the abdomen. A quick powevful eib.i't of arms and I.gs; a yt.-lp--.ind the hound tumble J over on the fcjr.t-<s. ripped open. Hi* own kirk >o li.-ar'.ily given sent King Mandrill on die back, a fathom of dogs entrails between bi.> tteth; and the secon i hound was upon him like .-, lltt.di. Bui what is the iiuicktiess of a dug compared with ".hat of a uiataliiH'' I.>k<- a str.ak oi lightning tlie King twUted himself out of danger, the dog just missing hohi with a click "f -snapping teeth, _ A short struggle, and the n..xt moment King Mandrill'* "tu-sii..« settled at the ihroat <.f his opponent. Tli-- hind Jegi, came up: another kick, and hound number two sank down, a quivering heap. For a moment the victorious, ape, glared a- the keepers with f_\t> that glowed like b.-anit of til.-. He hit" th<- ground furiously is aLoitt to i.-hatg-. ■ Tien, altering his. mind. :u .1 few bound', he regained his lock.ty. ( j.pplau.ied. It was «o splendidly (lon<--. hut i was lh. only o:a- to applaud. ! " firing me mf gun*" •>!;•. us.d lie- !>' ! r. ■ tor, looking vi--i..i-..|y a: me. " V.,ti i m.iv be t.mi'i-..'d. -'ft but ii th-s >•>!. j ! iita,.- h. «ill l.d! '!,.- .-..tite t.uo.grnc. ; | :„„) u. ; ,s well "In'" I-.) -- and <«•' i ,(„..■ • W'i.at .e-tf Bring my -run :oid ■■■ |,„ek»h..t .'ai'iridg.-.: I'll M,....t torn " i •• |t.„,-: „,, , ..i.d b.i -om.'tbu.g .!-<-," ' 1 laughed 5.,,v.,5 !:i -.,l| t M,- ili!..!oi «... ! .. w..n.!r-i:slv in.i.!!. i-it: >!».' In '•!"' ; t alt" •>( mV rigid lot; th..<( ."toe SoUoI „f li-l. mis.iiieited dexterity. ! Well." !.• :.!.."»U'..i, " you'll -ooot \ hv.n :i v-.u Ilk--." I did "m.-. 1.1.-. Hut th. h.-HU.-1-r ; «;,, ~ ii.-n ..: :••-!»<-; he !■»»« ~ thing j '" UV t.o'l .w: LH hj,.,.. s.r I'll '..',. ..,, p-.ti. ;.:rl. ..lid hell Ml!., fh" : ,' ~,,!' ..' ..,,,, ,-. I.:.- i.-.y !.:.od. Y.ea'll '... ...S.u I .lo ! '*'■''• he H.'OI |',. ~,. ~ .W!!-..'. "••.- "■« "I'- •-■•■■. ■.: i.'-'i-"v: "t-e.-. r- :■'• --' ; i"->'■ 7:' v '.".'„:,.. H;ng M.aei-i!! = ..nin.t'-dly ttiiht'-n'd on his T ..fk'.'ry. Ii:- b.v k tumcl

in beautiful contempt on the mangled corp. s;g of the two clogs. .".' . "'" ' '. .He first saw the 'flatter of" her dress vondtr. near ihat'deodAr bash. He rose Jn .me en all-fours-in a maxe of astonishmeut.'. She' was coming—and' he .was "Ire*.! •The limbs' taut, tho.body ..*-rigs9,\'the eyes straining; as if to-: devour the! space that separated her .from, him,".he '•■'• iftoofl watching her coming .nearer and nearer to the cage:. Sha and the head-keeper hj> enemy. ...." ','. '!'-"' When quite close: to the cage > she shouted "baboo!" . He' would have gone,"bu't the. fatal trap was betweeu , thwru ~ She would have come to him, but.the lieljd'' keeper—not knowing:.' enough—would' .-jjot have. it. .'■ '■•-.- .- • .- : , ":\ ■'.■;:''.

" Baboo ! Babooj", cMUe.again. • . :' , -And . then the,- head-keeper kissed the little girl. .- '< -V •.'.-: - i, :' This desecration was inore. Thais irtandrill fktsh and blood-could- stand.v-''King Mandrill rushed; at, hfc' enemy, taking the shortest rOTjte-7-thnjngh the"cage and next moment- he -was; avprisoner :oiio« more. He at once; the mistake he- had made, and turned.:Tbiind to:escape with ,sueh amazing; quickness-. ; that, :his hands; were, very nearly caught between the clashing, spring 'doors: > •- For la moment itseenied as if- the-, cage* wew*Vto-'jbe wrecked-, by that ,vast strength arid; irenzied anger.i,. .; \-v'. '... r:'.,?-. .v:.- -£\.<V-X-Then suddenly Ring Mandrill sat, down. He looked at ;jthe little- girl. She;';histemptress?. Like that other being of hisdreaded dreams? ./-..: . . ' ; ' .^..- It 'was incredible': •. ■'. .'., ■ , .vj~';'.

When the portable cage; was ■ put, to his dert jn.the monkey-house/aad ;the slide-doors were>opehed, 'he; refused' to move. - Onethe others pbdded4iifti with'-» thick stick. King Mandrill: snatched Mb*'. weaponvfrom the .man's hands—if the* keeper bad not let go he would" have, dome y too-r-and smashed the tough? iriale*bamboo that defies the'teeth ofii tiger asif it had been matchwood. " ! -■ ■"- ; «' ~. '•' , '.. i\

■ The head-keeper once more-took charge of affairs. ■-. . ,: ..--.,: : ->J ;: : ':.: :;

" Take his cage away, or he t may tumble to things Shut'it first, you looi! You fellows, put up the- cleaning partition I'll go behind it wjth the little i?irl , Then fetch him in again .tie is more thin half in love with my daughter. A fine son-in-law'" he added, with a lHUgh. 1 looked ton that head-keeper with withering surprise. Who' was the coarser brute of the two—the man or the ape* lint I protested in mm. Man, especially white man, is -a masterpiece—the darkest blot in a ereition of evil

As tv>on as everything was reidy King Mmdnll was brought m again. Ho saw all bits before his. eyes—and the Utile girl there W-ith his enemy.' He- hesitated one moment. The head-keeper kissed her again With a hoarse bark—the only loud sound ho had uttered for years—King Mandril! darted mto his den" and hurled himself against the- partition grating The pintles gave May. and the partition came down with a clatter. The he.id'keeper Mas tluown a'heavy back "fall by King Mandrill The* huge- dog teeth fastened \a the man's chest, the hairy back curved, the limbs gathering Tor the death kick. All around srood aghast; all but the little girl She strode pluckily toward, th<> infuriated monster, and striking him a slight tap with her open hand on the head.

"Naughty Baboo'" she' sifd ropiontb fully.

The newly awakened soul seemed to reenter the grotesque <.hape, 'and the" mighty ape ( pat cowed and humble- at tho little gnl's feet, a pleading jn the devil's eyes looking up towards, hert That sime evening he was bhot as old and dangerous; and*a.young mandrill wa«t expected fiom Africa within a fortnight. A month later the stuffed skin of the King Mandrill wjs brought to the head-keep-ci'« ' C\ nocephalus maimon (W&>t Africa!' lead ,v libel on tho footboard: it was his tombstone jnsenptton. ' The swine'" i-aid the. keeper, still "-muting from the fright and wound* fle hid received.

'Poor Baboo'" murmured the little gill with teais in her eve*

It v*med to m* ..i» if m rfc-pont.e ,j. gliinj of tenderness HiUod behind the glass oibs of the stuffed elemental.