The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-08-05

side pocket of my waist, bit the monkey
showed q disposition tn follow me
After firing at him several times ] gavt
it up. His tough hide seemed bullet
proof, and there was no chance to Kill
him unless ! shot him in the eye.
The declining sun warned me that 4
was time to seek shelter for the night
and l knew that in these tropical soil
tudes there was no twilight / saw NJ
cultivated fields, no houses. no signs O
the hacienda of Don Francisco Mendez
The situation was growing serious
Occasionally a stone weighing q pound
or two was hurled at me from SOM
leafy covert, and then the gigantic
monkey would give q horrible laugh
and sramper away. He was a funny
looking chap in my blue flannel coat
but was too angry to enjoy the comic
aspect of the matter. 1t struck me thai
If the brute caught me in the dark h,
would make an end OF me in no time
It was both horrible and h~umiliating
such a death in the tangled forests o.
this savage land.
just then 1 saw a short distance off
in a clearing, a square stone hut Here
was shelter and protection. / was not
disappointed much to find it uninhab
tied. 1t was strongly built, with nc
windows, and one entrance, from which
the door had long since rotted away. A
%stepladder led to the loft. Ascending
/ found a small apartmentdimly lighted
by round holes in the wall, which had
evidently been used by sharpshooters
at some revolutionary period in the his
tory of the country. My mind was
made up in an instant. I went back to
my mustang and picketed him about
one hundred and sixty yards from the
hut in the bushes Then ! returned to
my fortress just as the darkness closed
in upon me. and sought refuge in the
loft, pulling up the ladder after me. !
was safe here, even from the monkeys,
and | lay down feeling q sense of per
feet sec urity.
1t must have been late in the night
when ! heard something moving in the
room under me. Looking through the
opening in the floor ! could see moth.
ing. struck a match, and by the flick.
ering flame recognized the monkey.
The W reich still wore my coat. and in
the dim, uncertain light his appearance
was more repulsive than yer
lay down again, knowing that the
beast could not get into the loft, and
commenced planning for his destruc-
ton in the morning. / was satisfied
that the animal belonged to a species
of mountain apes of great strength and
terrible f~erocity. Their cunning, ]
heard, vas almost human, and they die
not scruple to attack men and reno
them limb from limb. | concluded,
when the morning light appeared. to
draw the brute's attention and shoot
him in one of his eyes Having settled
On this plan. I was about dropping into
a doze, when l heard voices outside the
hut. l listened with alert ears.
IF. as you say, Pedro, this American
is inside. we should ambush him and
shoot him when he comes out in the
morning."
"Now, by all the saints, JUAN" was
the reply of Pedro, you are a coward
ly fool. The Englishman, like all his
countrymen, has his eyes open, and may
get the drop on u.s."
Wonder what they'll do with the
monkey?r l said to myself with a
chuckle.
~ hear the American moving" said
Pedro.
1t was the monkey. The monster
was walking in a circle all the time,
and the dead leaves that had drifted
into the hut rustled under his feet.
There was another whispered c~onsulta-
ton, and the Mexicans rushed into the
below. The outlaws saw a dark
form and charged with their long, muir
knives
/ heard two dull thuds, and knew
Pedro and Juan had been dashed
headlong against the walls.
Mother of Moses" gasped Juan.
Knife him."
The robbers made another rush.
"Ah, ah!" yelled Pedro. Where are
rou, Juan? This hog of an American
me by the throat and ] have lost
my knife"
"He is a demon,' groaned Juan.
lie is pounding my head against the
A volley of yells followed and then a
shorus of groans. Through it all I
heard Al ominous dull thud. At length
prevailed. and then l knew that
all was over.
My last match was gone, but to my
great delight it was almost morning.
the first rays of daylight I peered
through the hole in the floor. II was a
sight that met my gaze. The
Mexicans lay on the floor quite
lead. Their heads had been smashed to
ely against the bare walls and their
hroats bore dark blue marks.
Sitting in the corner was the monkey.
lie was bleeding ~profusely and was
Violently seriously hurt. At first
l would spare him. He
aved my life and I was crate.
ul. But when ! fixed the ladder
nd descended the untamable beast
prepared for a spring, and there
vas such evident malice in his eyes
hat l aimed at his eye and fired. One
hot did the work. He rolled over dead.
1t vas no place for me after such an
and / at once went in search
f my mustang. To my great joy he
all right, and I was soon in the
addle and on my way to Aspinwall.
Depositing Jackson's money in the
ank when I arrived, ! Immediately
the steamer. l knew that it
Tould not be prudent to speak of the
Mexicans, and l had a suspicion
hat a statement of the part the mon
:ey had borne in the tragedy would be
by the authorities as a cock
nd-bulI story. So l wisely kept my
louth shut until l was again among
OF course l have never wasted any
egret on Pedro and Juan, but / still
old my horrible friend, the monkey,
/ great esteem.-N. Y. Dispatch.
Very Cool
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