The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-08-11

bellion. Early the next morning Wnen
the cocoanuts began to arrive on the
big bamboo RATS noted with grin
Of satisfaction that all hands set to
work packing them Into the hold with
an alacrity which they had never be-
fore manifested In my service.
Taking on cargo occupied a week.
and during that time I never left the
ships deck farther than the cabin.
The following evening we put out to
sea, the men working like demons to
get away before night shut down.
Shackleford laughing all the while at
their eagerness to be rid Of what he
declared to be ''the finest spot east Of
Suez" His Chinamen-I shall never
forget that last glimpse Of them
squatted upon the empty bamboo RATS.
their cues wound about their unshaved
heads, the sweat still strea ming down
their naked bodies to the flimsy cotton
pantaloons corded about their waists,
and Viewed our departure out Of their
narrow eyes with features as impas-
sive as those Of stone Buddha.
What did they know about the two
rusty huiks, the gray thing" that
haunted them, and what bad they told
my crew? l wondered. Worn out with
trying week. turned in.
A shock hurled me from my berth,
and as i CROPPED about In the darkness
for the key Of the door the sound Of
crashing timber and Of branches trail
ing across the cabin window made me
guess my surroundings. Springing on
deck, l turned instinctively to the
wheel. and there. bowed over It like
an old man and clutching the spokes
with hairy hands. was a huge gray
ape-the very monster Shackleford and
/ had failed to bring down the night of
the raid upon the cocoanut grovel
At sight Of me 1t relinquished its
hold upon the wheel and sprang at me.
barring its teeth In sudden rage.
Whipping out my Colt. began to fire
and back away and brought 1t down
with a shot In its gaping mouth just
as 1t was reaching out its horrible
corded arms to seize me. As 1t col
lapsed with a gasping shudder at my
very feet I sprang backward from
sheer repulsion and in doing 30 fell
into the lagoon through 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 q gray,
writing mass that struggled and
fought and screamed In a wild rush
for the cocoanuts. which could easily
be reached through the main hatch,
left open to prevent overheadng.
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 a fierce attack Of the apes the
wire fence had at last given way, and
the cocoanut grove was In ruins.
Shackleford's bungalow l found In
state Of piilage so complete that only
the four upright posts remained. and
the fimsy huts occupied by the Chi
nese laborers were scattered about as
II struck by typhoon.
Not far from the ruins l 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 a 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 I 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 Off 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 little fort es a fellow could wish
for. Ha, ha"
Shackleford, followed by score o.
bedraggled Cinnamon, crawled on.
stiff1y from his involuntary but lucky
Imprisonment and looked ruefully a
his blood spattered clothes. They rip
ped and tore at the netting like a 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 out
through the netting. Lucky thing l
B