“What, is there a baby in the house?” cried Mappo’s trainer.

“Yes.  In that room where the window is,” she said.  “Oh, but we can’t get him.”

“Yes, I think we can!” said the circus man.  “Mappo, my monkey is very strong, and he is a good climber.  There is a rain-water pipe going up the side of the house, close to the window.  I’ll send my monkey up the pipe, and he can go in through the window, get the baby, and bring it down to you.”

“Oh, a monkey could never do that!” sobbed the woman.

“Yes, my monkey can,” the man replied.  “Here, Mappo!” he called.  “Up you go!” and he pointed to the rain-water pipe on the side of the house.  “Go in the window and get the baby—­get the little one and bring her safely down.”

“Yes, yes!” chattered Mappo, only he spoke in his language and the man talked as we talk.  But Mappo understood.  Many times he had been sent up rain-water pipes by the hand-organ man.  Of course this was a bit different, for this house was on fire.  But there were not many flames on the side where the pipe was.

Mappo sprang for the pipe, and began to climb up it.  He did not know exactly what he was going after, but he knew it must be something important, or his master would not be so excited.

“Get the baby!  Get the baby!” cried the circus man, for the firemen had not yet come up with their ladders.  Of course they could have saved the baby, if they had been in time.  But it would soon be too late.

Up and up the rain-water pipe went the nimble Mappo.  In a few seconds he was on the window sill of the room.  He stood there, looking down at his master.

“Go on in!  Get the baby and bring her down!” called the circus man, waving his arms at Mappo.

Down into the room jumped Mappo.  He knew at once it was a bedroom, for he had been in such rooms in the home of the boy who found him in the woods.  And, in a little bed, close to the window, was something that Mappo at first thought was a large doll, such as the sisters of the boy used to play with.

“I wonder if this is the baby,” said Mappo.  “I guess it is.  I’ll carry it down.”

The baby was asleep.  Mappo took her up in one of his strong hairy arms, and, very luckily he picked her right-side up.  Some monkeys would carry a baby upside down, and think nothing of it.  But Mappo was different.

With the baby held closely, the monkey jumped to the window sill again, and how his master and the others yelled when they saw him!

“He has her!  Oh, he has your baby!” cried the circus man.

Down the rain-pipe came Mappo carrying the little baby, which was just beginning to wake up and cry.  Mappo gave the little one to his master, who put the baby in its anxious mother’s arms.

“There’s your child,” he said.

“Oh, what a smart monkey, to save her!” sobbed the woman, but her tears were tears of joy.  Then the firemen put out the fire in the house, and no one was hurt.  Mappo choked a little from the smoke, but he did not mind that.