The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-03-12

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Interior Of the mysterious den:
He wanted to feel his teeth sink
into the neck Of the queer animal that
he had learned to hate and fear, and
because of this he came often with his
tribe to reconnoiter. waiting for a time
when the white ape should be of his
guard.
OF late they had quit attacking or
oven showing themselves, for every
time they had done so in the past the
little stick had roared out the terrible
message Of death to some member Of
the tribe.
Today there was no sign Of h man
about, and from where they watched
they could see that the cabin door was
open. Slowly, cautiously and noise
lessly they crept through the jungle to-
ward the little cabin.
On they came until Kerchak him
self skunk stealthily to the very door
and peered within. Behind him were
two males and then Kala, closely
straining the little dead form to her
breast.
Inside the den they saw the strange
white ape lying half across a table. his
head buried In his arms, and on the
bed lay a figure covered by a sailcloth,
while from a tiny rustic cradle came
the plaintive wailing Of a babe.
7 Nolselessly Kerchak entered, crouch
ing for the charge. and then John Clay
ton rose with a sudden start and faced
them.
The sight that met his eyes must
have frozen him with horror. for there,
within the door, stood three great bull
apes, while behind them crowded many
more; how many he never knew, for
bis revolvers were hanging on the far
wall beside his rifle and Kerchak was
charging.
When Kerchak released the limp
form which had been John Clayton.
Lord Greystoke, he turned his atten-
ton toward the little cradle, but
Kala was there before him. and when
he would have grasped the child she
snatched 1t herself. and before he could
intercept her she had bolted through
the door and taken refuge In a high
tree.
AS she took up the little live baby of
Alice Clayton she dropped the dead
body of her own into the empty cradle.
The wall of the living had answered
the call Of universal motherhood with
in her wild breast which the dead could
not still.
High up among the branches Of a
mighty tree she Rugged the shrieking
infant to her bosom. and Don the in
stinct that vas as dominant In this
fierce female as 1t had been In the
breast of his tender and beautiful
mother-the instinct Of mother love
reached out to the tiny man-child's
half formed understanding. and he be-
came quiet.
Then hunger closed the gap between
them. and the son Of an English lord
and an English lady nursed at the
breast OF Kala, the great ape.
Once satisfied that Clayton was dead,
Kerchak turned his attention to the
thing which lay upon the bed. covered
by a piece of sailcloth.
/ A moment he let his fingers sink
deep into the cold flesh, and then. real.
izing that she was already dead. he
turned from her to examine the con-
tents of the room, nor did he again
modest the body of either Lady Alice
or Sir John.
The rife hanging upon the wall
caught his first attention. 1t was for
this strange, death dealing thunder
stick that he had yearned for months:
but, now that 1t was within his grasp.
he scarcely had the temerity to seize 1t.
Finally the rife was torn from its
hook and lay In the grasp Of the great
brute. Finding that 1t harmed him
not. Kerchak began to examine 1t
closely.
who had entered sat huddled near the
door watching their chief. while those
outside strained and crowded to catch
a glimpse Of what transpired within.
Suddenly Kerchak's finger closed
Upon the trigger. there was a deafen-
ing roar in the little room, and the
apes at and beyond the door fell over
Oue dnOIueT III IuelT wiz dnXleIy 10
escape.
Kerchak was equally fr~ightened-so
frightened. in fact. that he quite for
got to throw aside the author of that
fearful noise. but bolted for the door
with 1t tightly clutched In one hand.
As he passed through the opening
the front sight Of the rife caught upon
the edge Of the inswung door with suf-
flcient force to close It tightly after the
fleeing ape.
When Kerchak came to a halt a short
distance from the cabin and discov-
cred that he still held the rife he drop
ped 1t as though 1t had burned him.
nor did he again essay to recover II.
The noise had been too much for his
brute nerves.. but he was now quito
convinced that the terrible stick was
quite harmless by itself II left alone.
The cleverly constructed latch which
Clayton had made for the door had
sprung as Kerchak passed out. nor
could the apes find means Of ingress
through the heavily barred windows.
Kala had not once come to earth
with her little adopted babe. but now
Kerchak called to her to descend with
the rest. and as there was no note Of
anger in his voice she dropped lightly
from branch to branch and Joined the