The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-03-29
My Fight With 'Jaeko" The Ape.
The Author is Officer OF We-Known Canadian Liner.
The Adventure Took Place Nine Years Ago.
BY SAM BOLTON.


menced to shake the backstay violent
ly. But apparently seeing the use
lessness OF wasting his strength in
this way, he presently stopped, then
leaped into the air, and l saw his
shapeless body, extended arms and
doubled up legs outlined in the moon
light as he decended towa;d ds me.
Stepping aside to avoid him, I hit
him as he fell somewhere about the
chest with my cinched fist. The blow
changed the course of his fight, and
his body struck with thud against
the corner Of the hatch. Thinking I
now had him at my mercy, [ sprang
, upon him and seized him by the slack
skin at his throat. T had reckoned,
however, without knowledge OF the
brute's astonishing strength. He put
out his arms and clasped the back of
my neck, and with all his strength en-
deavored to force me to him, gripping
my waist at the same time with his
powerful hand-like feet
! With Jacko clinging to me I fell
heavily to the deck. For some mo-
ments we lay there painting, but mo-
tionless. His strength was such that
my arms fairly ached with the effort to
keep his formidable jaws from me as
I lay there watching his hideous face
and teeth. His nails dug deep into
my neck; his teeth gave vicious snaps
in the air: I could hear his breath
forcing its way through his throat,
which had tried to grip as I held Oh
to the skin around it. We must have
lain there some three or four minutes
when Jacko suddenly threw himself
back ward, wrenched his throat from
my hand, and !eaped upon the capstan
to consider the next rounds
Without giving me time to rise, how
ever, he sprangat me again and seized
sg5als ;t -, .ssi,h sds and teeth
bites he<
= aTrant coward. Jacko,
wever, departed from this, custom,
or he buried his teeth deep in my
eft forearm and, with the tenacity of
: tuildog, kept them there.
I beat his face with my free hand
nd banged his head on the deck, but
IL to no purpose. had no waistcoat
" jacket on, and my shirt sleeves
we're rolled mp, so that he had the
'are flesh to work.uron. I staggered
With him to my feet, and actually car"
i d him to the hatch where, forcing
tim upon his hack, I beat his body
ranticalIy with my free fist. So close,
owever, did he cling to me with his
eet that my blows told with little ef- t
ect.
Seeing this, raised the big ape be- {
ore me, and holding my left arm with
~ right hand, rushed toward the cap c
tan, and with all the weight of my q
ody behind the blow crushed his t
cad against its iron rim. Then,
1ough apparently not in the least
tunned, Jacko let go and ran little :,
istance from me. Il
Jacko, standing upon the capstar-- t
here he had jumped alter letting go =
~ arm-seemed for a m oment to pom
er the situation. Thea, Judging from "
is subsequent actions, he appeared
} have resolved to ''board me from Il
ehind." FIRST he sprang from the
lpstan to the hatch; then, swift as l,
ghtning, he turned and leaped back u
sain-a leap of some IA feet from - -
atch at least two feet lower than the T
epstan itself. From the capstan he =,
'mped to the main fiferail, thence = =
cross the deck to the lee rigging and, L
Stly, back to the capstan again. y
I followed his every movement, de- l
:rmined not to let him get behind . .
e. Apparently perceiving this, the u u
oe changed his tactics. lie came ~ ~
isurely down from the capstan and .
awled slowly and deliberately along " "
le deck towards me, until at length ~
: stopped within a fathom's length .
my feet. " Y,
Then he bounded upward and again e. q
nded fairly upon me. He gripsed -
y throat in amanner that was almost l"
lmaa in style and intention. He "
asped his strong hind legs around =;
y waist, aud made vicious snap at :.
y ia with his awful jaws. T ducked -
J head, barely in time to save my :.
atures, and his teeth snapped in my !e
lir, some of which was torn out. I"
earful for my face, I put up my right +
md to grasp his throat, my left arm y: y
wing by this time become some what =. -
lmbed from the effects of his savage ~
tes. Ny hand strayed. however, as ~ "
lodged it, and it went between his q. o.
eth. He bit cruelty, and one of his - -
olars went clean through, op ening =,
in from which the blood com menced p
spout in an alarming manner. :.
The fight now became a wrestling 80 80
atch. while 10 ether sound came &c
ON either Of us save the hiss of our p'
lnting breath and the patter of my q: q:
lie feet. We struggled frantically 81, 81
aud fro upon the deck. The blood ~ -
outing from my. hand spread over ~ ~
cko's hairy heads neck and face, 81
til he hecame gbastly sight "
It myself growing weaker from the
IS of blood, while nv powerful enemy
rearad T., be croyyinr roni,1Iv