Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-04-25
Ny Fight With ''Jaeko' The Ape.
Author ts Officer of Wel-Known Canadian Liner
The Adventure Took Place Nine Years Ago.
BY SAM BOLTON.

| however, without q knowledge OF the
brute's astonishing strength. He put
out his arms and clasped the back OF
my neck, ard 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-
tion!ess. His strength was such that
my arms fairly ached with the effort to
keep his formidable jaws from me as
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 on
to the skin around 1t. We must have
lain there some three or four minutes
when Jacko suddenly threw himself
back kward, wrenched his throat from
nay hand, and leaped upon the capstan
to consider the next round.
Without giving me time to rise, how
ever, he sprang at me again and seized
my left arm with his hands and teeth.
Usu ally when a monkey bites lie
gives quick snap, and springs away
frigh tened at his deed, for the average
simian is an arrant coward. Jacko,
however, departed from this custom,
for he buried his teeth deep in my
left forearm and, with the tenacity OF
bulldog, kept them there.
beat his face with my free hand
and banged his head on the deck, but
AL to no purpose. had no waistcoat
CT jacket on, and my shirt sleeves
were rolled up, so that he had the
bare flesh to work upon. I staggered
with him to my feet, and actually car
ri d him to the hatch where, forcing
him upon his back, beat his body
frantically with my free fist. So close,
however, did he cling to me with his
feet that my blows told with hilittle eff
feet.
r, Seeing this, I raised the big ape be-
fore me, and holding my left arm with
my right hand sushed dstoWasd thez cap
stan, and with all the weight of my
body behind the blow crushed his
head against its iron rim. Then,
though apparently not in the least
stunned, Jacko let GO md ran q little
distance from me.
Jacko, standing upon the capstan-
where he had jumped after letting go
my arm-seemed for m oment to pom
der the situation. Then, judging from
his subsequent actions, he appeared
to have resolved to "board me from
behind" First he sprang from the
capstan to the hatch; then, swift as
lightning, he turned and leaped back
again-a leap of some IA feet from q
hatch at least two feet lower than the
capstan itself. From the capstan he
jumped to the main tiferail, thence
across the deck to the lee rigging and,
lastly, back to the capstau again.
I followed his every movement, de-
termined not to let him get behind
me. Apparently perceiving this, the
ape changed his tactics. He came
leisurely down from the capstan and
crawled slowly and deliberately along
the deck towards me, until at length
he stopped within fathom's length
of my feet.
Then he bounded upward and again
landed fairly upon me. He gripped
my throat in amanner that was almost
human in style and intention. He
clasped his strong hind legs around
my waist, and made vicious snap at
my face with his awful jaws. I ducked
my head, barely in time to save my
features, and his'teeth snapped in my
hair, some of which was torn ont.
Fearful for my face, I put up my right
h and to grasp, his throat, my left arm
having by this time become some what
numbed from the effects of his savage
bites. My hand strayed, however, as
he lodged it, and it went between his
teeth. He bit cruelty, and one of MS
molars went clean through, op ening a
vein from which The blood com menced
to spout in an alarming manner.
The fight now became wrestling
match, while no other sound came
from either of us save the hiss of our
painting breath and the patter of my
bare feet. We struggled frsntically
to and fro upon the deck. The blood
spouting from my hand spread over
Jacko's hairy head, neck and face,
until he became ghastly sight.
felt myself growing weaker from the
loss OF blood, while my powerful enemy
appeared to be growing rapidly
stronger. We staggered against the
main fi!erail. With my growing weak
ness fear came upon me-fear OF the
horrible Disagreement my features
would forever show should I become
too weak to keep the apes jaws from
off my face.
Now the fferail was studded with
iron Delaying pins, placed there for
the purpose of Delaying the crossjack
braces. One of these. luckily, was
free. put mp my left arm and with
it forced Jacko's head against the
wooden rail; then seiz:ng ths iron be-
laying pin with my free hand, raised
it aloft and brought it down upon
Jacko's brow with all the strength
could muster
The second mate, wondering why
had not returned to report upon the
side lights, and thinking I had prob
ably eat down somewhere and gone to
sleep, came down the poop ladder
bringing with him one OF the poop
buckets; these, by the way, were al
ways kept hung up at the fore part Of
the poop, and in hot weather we're kept
filled with water to prevent the wood
from becoming too dry. It was the
mates .unkind intention to rouse me
iu the time-honored fashion by drench-
ing me with its contents. Creeping
stealthily along the deck, he ca7le to
the main fiferail, where lie saw 1.-THE
moonlight sight which cause him
to change his intention.