The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-06

and transferring the light to Q candle
This cropping fingers had sought out on .
rude stand near by.
A low gutteral cry burst forth a. the
light shone out. The mass OF white
clothes upheaved and an ugly black face
with drawn lips showing cleaning teeth
and terror rolling white eyeballs burst
ing out above stared at Poe as though
he were the devil himself There came
q startling humping and clawing from
the little closet close beside the bed. The
black man trembled. reached covertly
along the wall. and had his hand on
the catch to the closet door when Poe
walked quietly toward him and said In
| French:
Don't open that door and let your
daughter Babo out. Let her stay there
shawl on the foot Of the bed there as 1
| entered"
There came grooming cry from with
1 in the closet.
"How's your footr' inquired Poe as
the black man cringed back among the
coarse bed clothes and giared with
CLASSY eyes. began chattering.
who are you? What in hell do you
| want?" cried the man in French, very
broken French It was.
II am from Haggerup & Co. Just
came to get Babo back We miss her.
You don't know what you're talking
| about. I never
Poe turned sharply at a sound from
| the passage beyond the door he had
locked. In a second he realized the
| sneaking presence Of some one outside
and gave a quick glance toward the
| window.
| Approaching the quivering black man,
| he pointed to the door and whispered:
Jock, do you want them to know what
that bundle really Is that you brought in
here tonight as your little girlT'
| The black man gave frightened
squeal and then a crafty look cleaned
| in his eye In the instant that Jock
had been surprised by Poe's exclama-
ton the banker-detective had reached
the window and thrown up the shade
| "How's your sore foot, jack! ne
queried again. turning to the crafty little
fellow, whose feet were both covered by
| the blanket
Il have no sore foot! Who the devil
are you?" cried the black man. still In
seafaring French. "fn call those out
side IL you don't tell me what your
game is.
He was again shrinking back as Poe
stood with a firm smile on his lips,
pointing silently toward the closet door.
from within which came a clamorous
surprising bump on the door itself.
But tell me about that foot. JackT'
Poe insisted. At the same time he took
from his pocket the object he had re-
moved from the dead crocodile's mouth
The handkerchiefs were bloody; the
black man watched with glowing. fasci-
mated eyes as Poe opened out the linen
On his palm and suddenly revealed 10
the Mortified eyes of the man on the
bed two mangled toes and a snapped-on
foot bone. What skin showed was black.
matching Jocks.
Poe dropped the disgusting exhibit. 1t
had served its purpose. The black man
went gray and screamed: at the same
time he shot back the bolt to the closet
door and. as Poe sprang for his throat
he received full in the stomach vicious
seaman's kick which sent him bounding
back against the outer door. breath |
sapped. At that moment something struck |
him a terrific blow on the back Of his !
head. There was shivering Of wood. |
He couldn't locate the ape. As he felt |
vague something cropping toward him |
there came a sudden shivering of the door
at his back: II gave way beneath husky |
shoulders and a herd of heavy feet tram |
Pied over him into the room.
There came a snarl and sudden 4
scream: a piercing animal cry: the room |
kicking struggling legs and arms.
A maze of curses burst forth. The clat-
ter and din was hideous. Poe had lurched |
to his feet and stood for a moment star
ing ixedly at the scene Of jumbled con-
fusion within the small room. Yes. there
II was-at last
He saw II. Through the dim light those |
gripping teeth cleaned. that hairy. hor-
rid-eyed head arose. Babo. the huge ape, |
was loose Babo chung there tense to the |
bedstead, protectingly above his master.
and his huge hairy fist shot out like a
steel spring and grasped the foremost
Of the sailors.
Another agonized scream! A wild ami
NAL cry,
"Babo. Babor' yelled Jock in a
throaty rattle above the din. "Sacre bleu!
L'diable, Jesu-''
Poe poised for a leap to the aid Of
the sailor in the monkeys managing
clutch. when he suddenly saw the ape
swing loose with its other hand and grasp
a second believing. striking seaman. The
''man-ha ndling'' was hellish. Poe's hand
fed to his hip-pocket
The devil face of the ape. blood-thirsty.
swan before his eyes; his hand jerked
back from his hip-pocket, empty. Jock
had attended to the gun that was there
There came a sudden ringing explo-
sion. The tight little room reverberated
with it, Splitting fire had leaped from
Poe's revolver in the black mans hand.
There was a crash of feet in the pas
sage without; headed by a huge lamp. |
rushed Frau Klittenlein. followed by the
remaining loungers from below.
A mixture Of vile oaths punctured the I
atmosphere. Poe was sud-
ienly mashed against the passage wall
Dy the believing sailors bursting forth
from that hideous black hole of a room.
There came a resounding crash OF glass. |
Poe leaped through the passage. knock I
ng down two numbering fellows who ,
,trove to stop him. He shot down the 4
stairs and outside, around to the ground
beneath Jocks window.
There lay a crumpled form. moaning.
He turned the man on his back. ignited s
he cigar-lighter, and gazed into the I
black face of the sailor from Borneo. his .
Ups working violently in excruciating I
agony, and covered with white foam. Poe I
taught sight of his feet; a bloody band s
lge on one had worked up to his ankle I
md the manned foot lacked two toes.
A quick motion from beside the huddled I
'orm made Poe spin around just in time l
o evade the snap of ferocious teeth.
5abo, the ape, confronted him, struggling c
oward him weakly, evidently injured.
Poe leaped upon the ape, caught him I
airly about his hairy throat and strug- q
lied for a violent half-minute with him. \
Then the monkeys steel-gripping hands
elaxed their hold. Poe jumped to his y
eet, turned hastily toward a mass of Q
renzied men bursting from the front Z
oor of the clearinghouse and gathering .