Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-01-09

into the 6oat. we had three loaded guns
and revolver apiece, and | believel the
two of lis alone could prevent boarding.
The schooner swung bows TO the shore as
soon as the tide turned and was now
further away by her own length. We did
not hear sound from the beasts after they
retired There were scores of them watch
ing us from the bushes no doubt, but they
did not show themselves. When the tide
began to draw the ysw! off shore the ape
left in charge took a turn with his tail
around bush and thus held it.
At shutdown there was little breeze,
and we could have left, but l wanted the
apes in the traps and the captain wanted
his yawl. AS it grew dark all the crew
went below, saying it was none of their
fight, and one of the Borneo sailors de-
clared with great vigor and much grief
that he had recognized an uncle in the ape
had killed Another had seen his brother,
and the cook fairly cried at the thought
that his favorite son, who had been dead
about five years, might have turned into
an ape and be waiting to destroy his affec
Tomato father. Thomas and | remained on
deck to watch, and at o'clock we heard
and saw enough to prove that the apes
were moving in concert and in large
body. I tried to get the crew up, but they
refused to come. l had double barreled
shotgun, and Thomas was to throw the
shell il they came near enough The shore
was in such darkness that we couldn't see
what our enemies were up to until the
boat was suddenly seen floating along our
port bow. l fired into the black mass, and
Thomas lighted the fuse and heaved the
shell, but in his excitement he missed the
boat.
fI>or
that large numbers of the apes swan off
had scarcely fired when three or four ap-
peared on the bows, and the next moment
they boarded from every quarter. Their
screaming and chattering were terrific,
and we no sooner saw the first half dozen
aboard than we made II rush for the cabin
From that moment we were besieged, and
by an enemy such as never captured sail
ing craft before.
The crew were willing Oh to fight
now, realizing the danger. We were all
together in the little cabin, and ali armed,
but the question was what to do. The
apes raced up and down the decks. pulled
at every rope, and the number of them
must have been a full thousand. Their
racing about made the little schooner
tremble clear to her keel, and now and
then their weight lurched her from side to
side. The scuttle to the fo'castle was Sc
cured, the matches all fast, and the boards
over the cabin skylight had been nailed
We heard them pulling and hauling, how
ever, and every moment was an anxious
one. They wrenched the water butt loose
and rolled it around the deck, and six
cages of parrots were broken up in no time
and the birds killed.
1t was full hour before the apes queted
down, and from thence to daylight we
caught few winks of sleep as we watched
and waited. When day broke and we could
see through the cabin side lights the scene
on deck was one of desolation. Every run
ming rope had been pulled down. great holes
had been gnawed in the sails, and what
ever they could break up was broken They
were still at it. Some of them were even
gnawing at the deck planks 1t was clear
that if left uninterrupted they would ruin
the schooner above board, and so we raised
great shout to draw their attention. 1t
succeeded to charm. 1t wasn't five min
utes before they had wrenched the boards
off the skylight. The sash was a heavy one
and the panes small, and even when they
crowded upon the sash to the number OF
fifty it bore their weight. Holding my re.
volver close to one of the panes, I fired three
shots, and this cleared them off. From the
great chattering above we knew that three
of the gang had been killed or badly hurt,
They tried it again in about five minutes,
and now we used both revolvers and pep
pered four or five more From that on they
kept clear of the skylight, but we knew
they were watching the doors.
On each side of the companionway was
pane of glass over an opening inches wide
by II long I smashed out one and Thomas
the other, and we began shooting. The
crowd made at us, seeming to be perfectly
reckless, and several were shot as they
tugged at the barrels of our rifles. In half
an hour we had the decks covered with
dead and dying, and the beasts began to
show signs of being demoralized An old
grayhead, who had been concealed behind
the foremost, finally peered out, and put
a bullet into his head. He fell over with a
scream, and with that every ape that could
move sprang overheard and made for the
shore. We waited Il while before leaving
our quarters, but reached the deck to find
that they had departed for good. There
were forty~two dead apes on the schooner,
and we finished six that were badly wound
ed. Our boat had grounded on a smaller
island half a mile away, and after we had
recovered it we got the chaps who had been
in the traps SO long. They exhibited the
greatest ferocity, but were handled the
worse for it, and we finally got them safe
aboard. Then we turned to on the schooner,
and it took us two full days to get her in
sailing shape. From the hour the beasts
left the craft we did not catch sight of a
single one again during our stay.-New
10. k Sun.