Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-20

4AAAS SilCSlo VI Las ONSIoOS6 DtHdA W
tell upon him. By degrees he became
less lively, and his uncertain steps in
dicated that he was now really drunk.
"The rum was too much for him and
before he could recover his position he
lost his balance and rolled from his
seat to the ground. where in the in.
sensibility of 'beastly drunkenness he
lay stretched as if dead.
Him all right now, massa cap n
exclaimed the native, as he ran up to
the spot, and, being provided with
thongs, proceeded deliberately to tie
the baboon securely. He then lifted
| the motlonless creature to his shoul-
ders, and, having thus secured our
| prisoner, we moved on to where the
| boat lay among the mangroves.
Now, massa cap'n, said the inter.
prefer, he sleepy good one-two hour.
, Take him board brig. When him get
sober, him fight hard. Tie him goodv
Having paid the man for his serv'
ices, and calling together my men, we
once more started down the creek and
river, toward my vessel.
"On account of the bar off the
month of the Rio Pongo, which will
not admit the passage of vessels of any
considerable draught, and the shallow
water for Il great distance from the
shore, my brig lay some three or
four miles off, and it was pull OF
some hours from Quomono's Creek to
where she was anchored.
I'VE had reached within q mile OF
the brig when, as L sat in the stern
sheets, with my face to the bow of the
boat, where the dead-drunk baboon
had been carelessly thrown, saw
that the crptive began to show signs
of returning animation. He opened
his eyes and looked about him. Al
once he seemed to be aware of all that
had transpired, and of my intentions
toward him. For few moments he
was furious with rage, and before the
men could secure him to the ring-bolt
of the stem, as ] ordered, he had torn
the thongs from his limbs and thrown
them overheard, grinning tierceIy, and
gnashing his savage, doglike tusks to-
gether, stood upon the defensive.
II reached over the heads of the
men with my dubbed tiller and at
tempted to knock the growing baboon
! to the bottom of the boat, so that he
could be secured and tied. But now
completely sobered, and fearless with
rage, he leaped over the men and fell
upon me, fastening his powerful jaws
upon my arm. Taken completely by
surprise-so sudden was the assault
l fell back upon the seat, while my
fierce assailant kept his grip upon my
arm and attempted to reach my face
with his claw-hke hands.
My men rushed to my rescue, and
thick and fast the blows from their
fists fell upon the monkey, and he was
obliged to let go his hold, and turned
upon his new enemies.
$50 savage and powerful were his
attacks that the sailors, having moth
ing but their hands to defend them
selves with, were finally forced to
spring overheard; and then 1 found
myself alone with the ferocious brute.
Resting awhile in the bows of the boat,
as if to gain strength for a fresh tus-
sic, he once more sprang upon me.
81 raised the tiller once more, and,
as he made his leap, [ struck with all
my might. The blow would have
crushed his skull like an eggshell,
but the cunning animal lodged it,
and the stick flew out of my hands
many yards away upon the water, and
L received him upon my outstretched
arms and with all my strength forced
him back again among the thwarts of
the boat, and, following the example
Of my men, leaped into the sea.
1.-The baboon had now cleared the
decks, and was master of the boat.
This victory seemed to be all he de-
sired, for, chatteriDg an insulting glib
berish at us as we foundered in the
water, he sprang into the sea, and,
like practiced swimmer, struck out
boldly for the shore; while we, half
amused and half angry, clambered back
into the vacated boat and pulled away
for the brig,
''On visiting King Quomono on the
following day L told the people what
had occurred. They laughed heartily
at the story and promised to recap
ture the baboon for me. Accordingly,
another calabash of rum and sugar was
furnished and the result was that
Pongo, as the sailors christened him,
found himself that night prisoner on
board the brig; and before we gained
our home port he had become as
gentle and gentlemanly baboon as
ever made a sea voyage. brought
him to Cuba with me, where, you per-
ceive, he is as well contented as if
among the mangroves of his African
home"