The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-07-26

sheer repulsiou and In doing so fell
into the lagoon through a hole in the
railing that the thick branch of tree
had carried away.
Not till then did the full significance
of what had transpired dawn upon me-
Crew there was none, but apes from
the surrounding trees and the two
rusty hulks that had so puzzled me
and that now lay on either side came
swarming upon the steamer till they
covered everything winches, forecas-
tie head, the empty davits, the spare
anchors. the very rigging-with gray,
writhing mass that struggled and
fought and screamed in wild rush
for the cocoanuts. which could easily
be reached through the main hatch.
left open to prevent overheating.
Swimming round to the rudder, now
completely out Of water above the
madly racing screw, l climbed up be-
yond the reach Of sharks and listened
to the appalling pandemonium till the
last cocoanut must have been removed
from the hold. when the brutes grad
ually dispersed through the forest.
Afraid to venture back on deck, at
daylight / mounted piece of the
round house that had been swept over
board and made my way on the incom-
ing tide up the channel which led to
the plantation. On the edge Of the
grove paused in incredulous wonder.
and then the truth came home to me-
Under fierce attack Of the apes the
wire fence had at last given way, and
the cocoanut grove was in ruins
Shackleford's bungalow / found In
state Of pillage SO complete that only
the four upright posts remained, and
the flimsy huts occupied by the Chi
nese laborers were scattered about as
II struck by a typhoon.
Not far from the ruins ! found
Shackleford's beautifully stained meer-
schaum pipe trampled into the earth
by host of passing feet, and protrud-
ing from under tattered cocoanut
leaf was a Chinaman's cue, streaked
with gray, but no Celestial at the sew
cred end. Prepared for the worst,
was Fastening down the newly beaten
path toward the jungle, when groan
to my left attracted my attention, and,
rushing over, found Shackleford and
his Cinnamon neatly trapped under the
barbed wire fence.
You see," Shackleford explained
when had pried up the edge Of the
deadly netting which they were unable
to raise with their bare hands because
Of the inch long barbs, I'VE were pok
ing the bally brutes of the fence with
sharpened bamboos and having no end
Of fun when their weight doubled the
whole thing over and shut US into as
fine a little fort as fellow could wish
for. Ha, haT
Shackleford, followed by score of
bedraggled Cinnamon, crawled out
stif1y from his involuntary but lucky
imprisonment and looked ruefulIy al
his blood spattered clothes. 'They rip
ped and tore at the netting like lot
of mad devils" he continued, land the
blood from their lacerated feet came
through on us Like a shower of warm
rain, but none of us was hurt except
All Cong over there. He was a Bit
careless and let his pigtail stick on:
through the netting. Lucky thing
had knife, you sour old heathenr
turning to a grizzled Chinaman whose
cue had been severed close to his head
cor that big ape that got hold Of the
end Of 1t would have pulled it out by
the roots" And Shackleford laughed
uproariously as he reached for his pipe
examined the coloring with the eye OF
coHnoisseur and then began to dig
the dirt out of the bowl. But l don't
understand what made the brutes all
quit and go tearing away toward the
bay" he added thoughtfully as he
opened his tobacco pouch.
For answer I led him down to the
third derelict and showed him the emp.
ty hold.