let the natives catch him and put him into the crate.

Mappo was not so much afraid now, and once, when his cage was close to
that of the tiger, the big, striped beast spoke to the little monkey. Of
course he talked in tiger language, which the natives could not
understand, but Mappo could.

"Ha! So they caught you too, little monkey?" asked the tiger.

"Yes, I got caught in a net, while I was eating some cocoanut," answered
Mappo.

"The cocoanut was bait," said the tiger. "I got caught eating a little
goat. The goat was bait, too, and they caught me in a noose that almost
choked me. Then they slipped me in this box when I was half dead. If I
had had my strength, they never would have gotten me in it!" and the
tiger roared and growled, and tried to break out of his crate. But it
was too strong--he could not.

"Keep quiet there, Sharp-Tooth!" cried one of the black natives who was
marching along beside the tiger's cage. "Keep quiet, or I shall hit you
on the nose with a stick," and the black man held up a hard stick. The
tiger growled, away down deep in his throat, and kept quiet. But still
he spoke to Mappo, now and then.

"Seems to me I have seen you before, somewhere, little monkey," said
Sharp-Tooth.

"Yes, you--you tried to eat me, if you please," said Mappo, who spoke
politely, because he was still afraid of the tiger.