Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-03-22
My Fight With 'Jacko" The Ape.
The Author is Officer of WeKnOwn Canadian Liner
The Adventure Took Place Nine Years Ago.
BY SAM BOLTON.

mencod 10 snake the Dackstay 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 towards me.
Stepping aside to avoid him, hit
him as he fell somewhere about the
chest with my clinched fist. The blow
changed the course of his fight, and
his body struck with thud against
the corner of tho hatch. Thinking
now had him at my mercy, I sprang
upon him and seized him by the slack
skin at his throat. I 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-l 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 on
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 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 he
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
all to no purpose. / had no waistcoat
or jacket on, and my shirt sleeves
were rolled up, so that he had the
bare flesh to work upon. 1 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 little eff
feet.
Seeing this, raised the big ape be-
fore me, aud holding my left arm with
my right hand, rushed toward the 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, Jack let go and ran 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 leap of some IA feet from a
hatch at least two feet lower than the
capstan itself. From the capstan he
jumped to the main fferail, thence
across the deck to the lee rigging and,
lastly, back to the capstan again.
fnl1pwoI hia avoru ~, IL
termined not TO let him get behind
me. Apparently perceiving this, the
ape changed his tactics. lie came
leisurely down from the capstan and
crawled slowly and deliberately along
the deck towards me, until at length
lie stopped within a fathom's length
of my feet.
Then he bounded upward and agair
landed fairly upon me. He grippet
my throat in amanner that was almos
human in style and intention. He
clasped his strong hind legs around
my waist, and made n vicious snap a
my face with his awful jaws. I ducke et
my head, barely in time to save IN,
features, and his teeth snapped in m,
hair, some of which was torn ont
Fearful for my face, put up my righ
hand to grasp his throat, my left arm
having by this time become some wha
numbed from the effects of his avag
bites. Ny hand strayed, however, a
he lodged it, and it went between hi
teeth. He bit cruelty, and one of hi
molars went clean through, op ening
vein from which the blood com IN ence,
to spout in an alarming manner.
The fight now became a wrestling
match, while no other sound cam
from either of us save the hiss of on
painting breath and the patter of M,
bare feet. We struggled frsnticall
to and fro upon the deck. The bloc,
spouting from my hand spread owe
Jacko's hairy head, neck and face
until he became CHASTITY sight.
felt myself growing weaker from th
| e l. L.