The quest kept up for over an hour, and, sadly disappointed, he returned with the news of his failure. The Professor took the loss lightly. "I presume it is intended that we should work out our own rescue. After all, I think that is the proper thing to do. If we depend on others we are sure to meet with disappointment and failure. Cheer up, boys; flag or no flag, let us do our duty."
"I don't mind the loss of the flag so much because it prevents us from having a signal, but I hate to think that we lost so much good time in making and putting it up."
The flag alluded to was sixteen feet long, laboriously made out of ramie fiber, which was woven, and then dyed, and it was a hard task to haul the pole, which was over fifty feet long, from the forest ten miles away, to say nothing of the labor required to raise it.
As soon as the thoroughly drenched material at the boathouse could be brought out and dried in the sun, which now came out bright and warm, the work proceeded with renewed vigor. Late that evening the Professor appeared at the rear of the laboratory, and called loudly to the boys.
When they appeared at the laboratory he was laughing immoderately, and Angel stood on one of the tables with a simian grin.
"What is the matter? Has Angel been experimenting again?"
Before the Professor could answer, George caught sight of the flag.
The boys laughed, and George actually hugged the animal, in his delight. Did Angel know what he had done? Ask those delvers into the mysterious realms of thought, what prompted him to search for and restore the flag? Is that any more remarkable than the recorded tricks of dogs and many other animals?
You know just how boys can laugh when they are really happy. Angel imitated that laugh, and he had not been taught to do it, either. It came without teaching.
When the Professor had wiped away some of the tears which had come from the excess of laughter at the imitating efforts of the animal, he said:
"Did it ever occur to you why Angel has always had a solemn look? The facial expression seldom, if ever, changes, and they rarely ever exhibit mirth. You may imagine the condition of those animals, living in the forests, with enemies all about them, and the struggle for existence an everlasting one. They have never known amusing incidents as we understand them. Naturally, the muscles of mobility in the face, which express pleasure, never have been exercised, and those indicating fear and anger unduly developed. Here is Angel, in a new atmosphere, where he sees delight depicted on the countenance, and, gifted as he is, with wonderful powers of imitation, has learned to actually laugh, and to enjoy the scene."