Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-02-16

. Dig Oh uDOO FuIls uDttu Win u ~
Of satisfaction that all hands set TO
work packing them into the hold with
an alacrity which they had never be
! fore manifested 10 my service.
Taking on cargo occupied a week,
and during that time J never left the
ships deck farther than the cabin.
The following evening we put out to
sea, the men working ike demons to
get away before night shut down
Shackleford laughing all the while at
their eagerness TO be rid Of what he
declared 10 be The finest spot east Of
Suez" His ChiDamen-l 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 tiimsy cotton
pantaluuns corded about their waists,
and viewed our departure out of their
narrow eyes with features as impas-
sive as those of a stone Buddha.
What did they know about the two
rusty hulks. the gray thing" that
haunted them. and what had they told
my crew: wondered Worn out with
a trying week. | turned In.
A shock hurled me from my berth,
and rs | grorrd about in the darkness
for the key Ut the door the sound Of
crashing timber and of branches trail
ing across the cabin window made me
guess my surroundings Springing on
wheel. and there. bowed over it like
an old man aud clutching the spokes
with hairy hands, was a huge gray
ape the very monster Shackleford and
I had failed to bring down the night of
the raid upon the cocoanut grove!
At sight of me It relinquished its
hold upon the wheel and sprang at me.
barring It's teeth In sudden rage.
Whipping out my Colt, began to fire
aud back away and brought 1t down
with shot in its gaping mouth just
as Il was reaching out its horrible
corded arms to seize me. AS 1t col
lapsed with a gasping shudder at my
very feet | sprang backward from
sheer repulsion 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 Oh either side came
swarming upon the steamer till they
covered everything winches, forecas-
tie head, the empty davits, the spare
anchors, the very rigging gray.
writhlnG 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 overheating.
Swimming round to the rudder, now
out of water above the
madly racing screw. | climbed up be-
yond the reach of sharks and listened
10 The appalling pandemonium till the
asst cocoanut must have been removed
from the hold, when the brutes grad
ially dispersed through the forest.
Afraid to venture back on deck, at
daylight mounted piece OF the
'Ound house that had been swept over
BOARD aud made my way on the incom
ng tide up the channel which led to
he plantation. On the edge of the
,rove | paused in incredulous wonder |
md then the truth came home TO me. /
Under fierce attack of the apes the /
wire fence had at last given way, and |
he cocoanut grove was in ruins. /
bungalow | found In a ]
tate of pi!lage so complete that only
he four upright posts remained, and |
he fimsy nuts occupied by the Chi
ese laborprs were scattered about as
struck by typhoou.
Not far from the ruins found
beautifully stained meer-
chaum pipe trampled into the earth
y host of passing feet. and protrud-
lg from under tattered cOcoanut
'af was Chinaman's cue, streaked
nth gray, but no Celestial at the sew
red end Prepared for the worst,
'as Fastening down the newly beaten
ath toward the jungle, when a groan
, my left attracted my attention. and,
lShing over. found Shackleford and
is Cinnamon neatly trapped under the
arhed wire fence.
You see Shackleford explained
-hen bud pried up the edge of the
eadly netting which they were unable
, raise with their bare hands because
{ the inch long barbs, 1--WE were pok-
Il the bally brutcs off the fence with
happened bamboOs and having no end
I fun when their weight doubled the
hole thing over and shut us into as
ne a little fort as fellow could wish
,r. Ha, har'
Shackleford. followed by a score of
edragSled Cinnamon, crawled out
lilly from his involuntary but lucky
sid looked ruefully al
S blood spatteied clothes. They rip
ID and tore at the netting like a lot
mad devils" he continued. "and the
God from their lacerated feet came ]
trough on us like a shower Of warm