Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/32

22 climb so fast as the rest, for she had a young one in her arms. Turk made short work of the poor thing, for ere Fritz could call the dog off, the ape was dead. The young one, as soon as it saw Fritz, sprang on his back, put its paws in his curls, and would not let go, but made a noise as if to chide him. Fritz did not like this, for he was in fear lest it should bite him. I knew there was but small risk of that, for the poor thing was as much in dread as he was. I at length got the ape from Fritz's back, and took it up in my arms like a child. We found that it was too young to seek its own food, and, as Fritz said he should like to take it home, we put it on Turk's back. "Since you have been the cause of its grief," said I, "it is but fair that you should act the part of its dam." Turk did not at first like this, but we soon got him to bear the ape, which held so tight by the hair on the dog's neck, that it could not well fall off. Fritz then led Turk with a string, that he might not stray out of sight, or throw off his charge, which I think he would have done had we not been on the watch.

It did not take us long to reach the bank of the stream near to our home. Just as we came in sight of the tent we heard Bill bark, and saw him run off as fast as he could to meet us. This put Turk in a sad way, and made him leap up at us and try to get free; so