It was a sight indeed! I was very glad we had made Ndova's house so strong. The leader wanted badly to reach Ndova. He would bite the creepers that tied the poles together, then stop and talk to Ndova, then go to work again.
Unfortunately I could not see what Ndova was doing inside; was he also trying to break his cage and go to the monkeys? I watched silently; but I began to fear that the cage would gradually be broken by the big monkey. So I gave a heavy cough. At this all the monkeys looked around. The big male, their leader, gave a peculiar cry of alarm. In an instant they were all over the fence and among the trees. Soon after I heard them utter loud calls, which Ndova answered. Then all became silent, and after a while I heard the branch of a tree near the palisade bend under the weight of a monkey that had come back. I looked up and saw a very big monkey. He was the leader, and easily recognized by his large size, for he was much bigger than all the others. He began to talk to our monkey, who answered him; then he jumped down upon another branch, and I saw him scale the palisade and get on the top of Ndova's house, and just as he was beginning to try to break into it, I gave a great shout, and the big fellow, in three bounds, fled outside the camp. A short time afterwards he came back again, this time very slyly, and I saw him only when he came over the palisade. I fired a gun. He uttered a shrill cry of fright, fled once more, and never came back.
When my hunters returned, I told them what had happened. After I had finished, Rogala said: "The leader of the troop wanted Ndova to go away with him."
The following day I took Ndova with me into the forest and loosed him. He followed me closely, but I was suddenly startled by his calling monkeys. He was answered at once by the big voice of one of his species. Then I saw Ndova go from tree to tree in the direction of the troop of the ndovas as fast as he could. I shouted, "Ndova, Ndova," but he did not heed my voice and disappeared amongst the trees. I went after him, and after a while I heard a strange racket among the monkeys. They were evidently welcoming Ndova, and were expressing their feelings by different sounds or words of their own.