“Ah, the robber!” cried Pencroft.

And hatchet in hand, he was about to cleave the head of the animal, when Cyrus Harding seized his arm, saying,—­

“Spare him, Pencroft.”

“Pardon this rascal?”

“Yes! it was he who threw us the ladder!”

And the engineer said this in such a peculiar voice that it was difficult to know whether he spoke seriously or not.

Nevertheless, they threw themselves on the orang, who defended himself gallantly, but was soon overpowered and bound.

“There!” said Pencroft.  “And what shall we make of him, now we’ve got him?”

“A servant!” replied Herbert.

The lad was not joking in saying this, for he knew how this intelligent race could be turned to account.

The settlers then approached the ape and gazed at it attentively.  He belonged to the family of anthropoid apes, of which the facial angle is not much inferior to that of the Australians and Hottentots.  It was an orangoutang, and as such, had neither the ferocity of the gorilla, nor the stupidity of the baboon.  It is to this family of the anthropoid apes that so many characteristics belong which prove them to be possessed of an almost human intelligence.  Employed in houses, they can wait at table, sweep rooms, brush clothes, clean boots, handle a knife, fork, and spoon properly, and even drink wine . . . doing everything as well as the best servant that ever walked upon two legs.  Buffon possessed one of these apes, who served him for a long time as a faithful and zealous servant.

The one which had been seized in the hall of Granite House was a great fellow, six feet high, with an admirably poportioned frame, a broad chest, head of a moderate size, the facial angle reaching sixty-five degrees, round skull, projecting nose, skin covered with soft glossy hair, in short, a fine specimen of the anthropoids.  His eyes, rather smaller than human eyes, sparkled with intelligence; his white teeth glittered under his mustache, and he wore a little curly brown beard.

“A handsome fellow!” said Pencroft; “if we only knew his language, we could talk to him.”

“But, master,” said Neb, “are you serious?  Are we going to take him as a servant?”

“Yes, Neb,” replied the engineer, smiling.  “But you must not be jealous.”

“And I hope he will make an excellent servant,” added Herbert.  “He appears young, and will be easy to educate, and we shall not be obliged to use force to subdue him, nor draw his teeth, as is sometimes done.  He will soon grow fond of his masters if they are kind to him.”

“And they will be,” replied Pencroft, who had forgotten all his rancor against “the jokers.”

Then, approaching the orang,—­

“Well, old boy!” he asked, “how are you?”

The orang replied by a little grunt which did not show any anger.

“You wish to join the colony?” again asked the sailor.  “You are going to enter the service of Captain Cyrus Harding?”