“But you have never before left home in such peculiar circumstances,” said Nigel.  “Have you not told me that this is the first time for about two hundred years that Krakatoa has broken out in active eruption?”

“True, but that cannot be to me the cause of longings or anxieties, for I have seen many a long-dormant crater become active without any important result either to me or to any one else.”

“Stop, stop!” cried Professor Verkimier in a hoarse whisper at that moment; “look! look at zee monkeys!”

Monkeys are very abundant in Sumatra, but the nest of them which the travellers discovered at that time, and which had called forth the professor’s admiration, was enough—­as Moses said—­to make a “renocerus laugh.”  The trees around absolutely swarmed with monkeys; those of a slender form and with very long tails being most numerous.  They were engaged in some sort of game, swinging by arms, legs, and tails from branches, holding on to or chasing each other, and taking the most astonishing leaps in circumstances where a slip would have no doubt resulted in broken limbs or in death.

“Stand still!  Oh! do stand still—­like you vas petrivied,” said the professor in a low voice of entreaty.

Being quite willing to humour him, the whole party stood immovable, like statues, and thus avoided attracting the attention of the monkeys, who continued their game.  It seemed to be a sort of “follow my leader,” for one big strong fellow led off with a bound from one branch to another which evidently tried the nerves of his more timid and less agile companions.  They all succeeded, however, from the largest even to the smallest—­which last was a very tiny creature with a pink face, a sad expression, and a corkscrew tail.

For a time they bounded actively among the branches, now high now low, till suddenly the big leader took a tremendous leap, as if for the express purpose of baffling or testing his companions.  It was immensely amusing to see the degrees of trepidation with which the others followed.  The last two seemed quite unable to make up their minds to the leap, until the others seemed about to disappear, when one of them took heart and bounded wildly across.  Thus little pink-face with the corkscrew tail was left alone!  Twice did that little monkey make a desperate resolution to jump, and twice did its little heart fail as it measured the distance between the branches and glanced at the abyss below.  Its companions seemed to entertain a feeling of pity for it.  Numbers of them came back, as if to watch the jump and encourage the little one.  A third time it made an abortive effort to spring, and looked round pitifully, whereupon Moses gave vent to an uncontrollable snort of suppressed laughter.

“Vat you mean by zat?” growled the professor angrily.

The growl and snort together revealed the intruders, and all the monkeys, except pink-face, crowding the trees above the spot where they stood, gazed down upon them with expressions in which unparalleled indignation and inconceivable surprise struggled for the mastery.