The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-02-02

I
vision of their actions.
"At seven O'Clock he and Fernando
went among them, giving some sharI
commands, and they went quietly t
their cages, which were fastened By
Fernando. The rest Of us sat on the
porch smoking, and part of the time
played on my banjo, which lattel
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 Goa
sleeve and walked ahead OF me tt
mine. Taking a blanket that hung
upon q peg, he motioned as IL he
wanted to take it back to the piazza
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. | laughingly said:
Make yourself perfectly at home, old
fellow at which he grinned back at
me as if he accepted 1t as a compli-
ment, and curled himself upon the
blanket with a great grunt of salts.
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 a 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 a watchful
supervision over the whole work.
on any plantation.
eve 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 tho days work was over, as
when it commenced. That evening
was a repetition of the former, but
before retiring | thought | 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 if something disturbed him. Moth
ing, however, occurred, and | finally
went into my room and lay down, al
though but partially undressing.
1T could not have been very long
dlICI NASh hWOhO WAN
that indescribable feeling that some
one was moving about the room.
had closed my windows on retiring,
but now felt the cool night air blow
ing soft across my face. AS | me-
Chemically grasped my revolver, cooked
it and raised myself suddenly to a
sitting posture, | felt the point of
sharp instrument piercing my neck. l
family heard the sound of shot, the
room seemed full of smoke and every
thing went black as I fell back sense
less.
Several days had passed before |
opened my eyes to returning con-
seriousness and what occurred during
that interval, | have learned only
from those to whose untiring care,
assisted by my naturally strong con-
stitution, owe my life.
"The darkey I 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 q valu-
able diamond pin had been thrust in
the pocket of his blouse. Pythagoras |
had evidently heard the noise, slight |
as 1t 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. ~
II do not know whether or not mon
keys can see in the dark, but if not |
Pythagorass 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
ease All would have been
we'll had | lain still, but my sudden
Using had not only plunged the knife
nto my own neck, but caused the fall |
If the revolver which fired the fatal
jhot, the big bullet blowing through
o faithful Pythagoras' brain and 9
filling him Instantly.
I'VE gave the body of the darkey /
D some of his friends, but Pythagoras
ras buried under beautiful live oak,
nd upon the mound, after | recovered, :
placed a marble slab inscribing :
pom it the words Faithful to the :
leath.'
"Oh, you ask what became of the =
est of the monkeys and my expert Z Z
rent! Well after the doctor said :
ould soon be all right again and per- :
lifted me to walk about, | had Fer Z
ando take them out and try to re- II
lme the cotton picking, which the =
arkies had meanwhile nearly COM =
Ected. They had been very uneasy =
Id had shown SO much restlessness l.
at the morning and evening hours
relaxation had been abandoned.
"They would give low plaintive
oans and cry out like children when
lrt and when released instead of I
mping and jumping as at first, would =,
lther in groups and chatter together NJ
, if talking over some trouble. Then
ey would troop down to the corner Al
the plantation and point away off :
wards the South. So Fernando said
, would not let them out until "
as we'll enough to give the matter r.,
Y personal attention. That morn
g Fernando took the lead and spoke A