The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-08-11
A Hairbreadth Escape From Death

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Z A HairbreAdth Escape From Death Z
: By BRADFORD X. DANIELS :
Copyright, 1910. BY American Press
Association.
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As the Yiang rounded the headland
noticed them or to the starboard,
two hulks. red with rust. awash under
the branches Of the big trees that grew
In dense forest far out into the shall
low water OF the lagoon. One steamer
was wedged In between great boles.
the tops Of its masts showing oddly
above the overhangins greenery. The
other lay well over upon its side, like
some portly marine monster that had
taken. shelteT there from the, tropic
sun. How any person not positive
idiot could have blundered into such
q place passed my comprehension.
The repeated blasts from our whistle
had reused the owner Of the cocoanut
grove that was to furnish us our car
60. and presently the white drill suit
and pith helmet which we always asso-
ciate with the white man In the trop-
les appeared in the stern Of a boat
which glided out from under the trees.
Before our gangpiank was fairly low
cred tall. rawboned young English
man. distinctly Of the gentleman"
type. came over the ships side and
introduced himself as Shackleford, the
man with whom had contracted to
carry q load Of nuts to Liverpool
mo. haven't black on the place."
he explained In response to an inquiry
Of mine as we took our places in his
nat bottomed boat, manned wholly by
Cinnamon. and started for his bunga-
low. whose corrugated roof blazed in
the intense sunlight through a rift in
the cocoanut grove. ut costs three
times as much for Chinese labor, but
for some reason I can't get a niger to
come near the plantation"
That's strange"
"Wait till tonight and you'll hear as
horrible row as you ever heard. Then
you'll know. The mountains back
there are alive with apes. That is
why put up a twenty-five foot high
barbed wire fence"
That evening we were sitting in the
bungalow. slipping whisky and soda
and swapping yarns about Penang.
when volley of barks. sharp as the
rattle Of musketry, made me spring up
In alarm.
Shackleford put down his glass and
haw-hawed. TITS only those blasted
apes" he explained when he had man
aged to control his mirth. Take down
that rife and come along"
Armed with Winchesters, we made
our way to the edge Of the grove near
est the spur Of the mountain. AS we
approached chorus of snarls greeted
US. and In the clear starlight saw
a host Of Infatuated apes hurting them.
selves against the barbed wire fence.
For time the brutes paid little heed
to our fusillade. Then. under the lead
ership Of huge gray ape. they broke
and made for cover.
The great grizzled brute was the last
to retire. and at the edge of the jungle
1t turned and gibbered at us In a way
that made my flesh creep. 1t seemed
to voice the fathomless hatred Of the
whole jungle world for the usurper
man.
The next morning ON our way back
TO the steamer l asked Shackleford
about the two wrecks.
"Oh, fancy the fool captains could
not steer straight" he replied lightly.
Observation-Disclosures the chap bought
the grove from-said that both ships
were loaded with cocoanuts. He would
not talk much about 1t. though-too
sour to talk about anything"
Later. to satisfy my curiosity. I
rOwed over and had look at the
hulks. and as ! examined them I noted
two facts that kept me specializing for
days. Before either steamer went into
its present position the boats had been
hastily slashed away. and there wasn't
a single cocoanut to be seen in either
hold.
That night spent ashore again with
Shackleford. and when l returned to
my ship the following morning found
It in an oninous state OF excitement
Usually the Chinese portion Of 1t oc-
cupied the forward part Of the main
deck, eating and sleeping in the cor
ners among the steam winches. The
lascars had always claimed the fore
castle head. where their tall, gaunt
bodies and swathed heads seemed an
inseparable part Of the ship. Now, how
ever, race and caste were forgotten
and turbans and pigtails mingled pro-
miscuously In groups that whispered
eagerly In a dozen corners.
At sight Of me. they quickly dis
persed. but with those two rusty hulkk
looming up yonder as object lessons
took prompt measures to forestall a.
possible mutiny. Summoning the FIRST
mate-a half caste from Calcutta that
had picked up In Penang when
MACPHERSON died of cholera-I locked
the door behind him. left my revolver
on the table. where he could mediate
upon its use as we talked. and then
askod him a fauu runiutad uuoafiOna