Amador ledger., 1906-02-09

and went out to his family evidently
forbidding them to do this or that or
ordering them to be more quiet, at
least expressing some sort of super
vision of their actions.
cat seven o'clock he and Fernando
went among them, giving some sharp
commands, and they went quietly to
their cages, which were fastened by
Fernando. The rest of us sat on the
porch smoking, and part of the time
l played on my banjo, which latter
appeared to greatly please my visitor.
Soon after nine, as we were prepar-
ing to go to our rooms, the monkey
chief, Pythagoras, pulled my coat
sleeve and walked ahead of me to
mine. Taking a blanket that hung
upon a peg, he motioned as if he
wanted to take it back to the piazza
l nodded my permission and he went
out with it. spread it and almost
asked me in so many words if he
could sleep upon it. I laughingly said:
Make yourself perfectly at home, old
fellow at which he grinned back at
me as if he accepted it as a compli-
ment, and curled himself upon the
blanket with a great grunt of satis-
| faction, where / left him.
"The next morning Fernando
brought out the monkeys, divided
them into two gangs, and commenced
the picking. Pythagoras would lead
one gang for while and then hurry
over to the head of the other, run
ming back to see If any cotton had
been skipped and like the most COM
petent overseer, keeping watchful
supervision over the whole work.
Nothing like it had ever been known
on any plantation.
'We stopped an hour at noon and
by night, by actual weight all form
er records had been beaten by over
one-half. What also appeared to me
very remarkable was that the pick
ers seemed just as lively and active
when the days work was over, as
when 1t commenced. That evening
was a repetition of the former, but
before retiring thought I saw some
men moving around near the house,
and twice Pythagoras uttering a low
grunt darted down the steps, return
ing and shaking his head each time
as il something disturbed him. Moth
ing, however, occurred, and I finally
went into my room and lay down, al
though but partially undressing.
"It could not have been very long
after midnight when l awoke with
that indescribable feeling that some
one was moving about the room. 1
had closed my windows on retiring,
but now felt the cool night air blow
ing soft across my face. AS I me-
chanically grasped my revolver, cooked
it and raised myself suddenly to a
sitting posture, I felt the point of a
sharp instrument piercing my neck.
4 family heard the sound of a shot, the
room seemed full of smoke and every
thing went black as fell back sense
less.
Several days had passed before I
opened my eyes to returning con-
sciousness and what occurred during
that interval, I have learned only
from those to whose untiring care,
assisted by my naturally strong con-
stitution, owe my life.
'The darkey 1 had discharged, had
crawled in through my window with
the evident intention of robbery and
murder. My watch and purse lay on
the floor and my necktie with valu-
able diamond pin had been thrust in
the pocket of his blouse. Pythagoras
had evidently heard the noise, slight
as it was, or perhaps his sense of
smell was, as Fernando said, extreme
ly acute, and his devotion to his mas
ter's friend brought him at once to
my bedside. .se.
'T do not know whether or not mon
keys can see in the dark, but if not
Pythagoras's intuitions must at least
have given him sort of second sight,
for when Fernando and the overseer
rushed in with lights, they saw that
the big ape had grasped the darkey's
right wrist which held the knife, with
his right hand, and twisted and broken
the wrist, in spite of the darkey's
great strength, while the long fingers
of his left hand were pressed tightly
around the throat of the darkey whom
he had evidently strangled with COM
parative ease. All would have been
well had I lain still, but my sudden
rising had not only plunged the knife
into my own neck, but caused the fall
of the revolver which fired the fatal
shot, the big bullet plowing through
to faithful Pythagoras's brain and
killing him, instantly.
1--WE gave the body of the darkey
to some of his friends, but Pythagoras
was buried under beautiful live oak,
and upon the mound, after recovered,
placed a marble slab inscribing
upon it the words Faithful to the
Death
"Oh, you ask what became of the
rest of the monkeys and my expert
ment! Well, after the doctor said 1
would soon be all right again and per-
mitted me to walk about, l had Fer
nando take them out and try to re-
sumo the cotton picking, which the
darkies had meanwhile nearly COM