The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-03-19


great apes. which now seemed to i'm.
Test the vicinity of the cabin. but as
he never vcutured out except with both
rifle and reviewers he had little fear
OF the huge beasts.
He had strengthened the window
projections and fitted unique wooden
lock TO the cabin door. so that when he
hunted for game and fruits he had no
fear that any animal could break into
the little home
At first much of the game he shot
from the cabin windows. but toward
the end the animals learned to fear the
strange lair whence issued the terriry
ing thunder OF his rifle
In his leisure Clayton read. often
alor TO his wife. from the store of
books he had brought for their new
home. Among these were many for
little childrcn-picturc books. primers.
readers for they had known that their
little child would be old enough for
such before they had hoped To return
TO England
At other times Clayton wrote in his
diary, which he had always been ac-
customcd TO keep in French and in
which he recorded the details of their
strange life. This book he kept locked
i'm little metal box
year from the day her little son
WAS born Lady Alice passed quietly
away in the night so peaceful was
her end that it was hours before Clay.
ton could realize that his wife was
dead
The last entry in his diary was made
the morning following her death. In
1t he rccitcs the sad details in matter
OF TACT way that adds To he patAo5 of
II, for it brcathes an apathy born of
long sorrow and hopeleSSncsS, which
even this cruel blow could scarcely
awake TO further suffering
MY little son is crying for nourishment
Oh, Alice, Alice. what shall / dor
And rs John Clayton wrote the last
words his hand was ever destined to
pen he dropped his head YEARLY upon
his outstretched arms, where they rest
ed upon the table he had built for her
who lay still and cold i'm the bed beside
him.
For LONG time no sound broke the
deathlike stiffness of the jungle midday
save the wnilins of the tiny man-child.
In the forest Of the tablcland mile
back from the ocean old Kerchak. the
ape. was on rampage Of rage among
his people.
The younger and lighter members
Of his tribe scampercd to the higher
branches of the great trees to escape
his wrath, riskng their lives upon
branches that scarce supported their
weight rather than face old Kerchak i'm
one Of his fits of uncontrolled anger.
The other males scattered i'm all Iii.
Iections, but not before the Infatuated
brute had felt the vertebrate Of one snap
between his foaming jaws.
Then he spicd Kala. who. returning
from Il search for food with her young
babe. was ignorant of the state of the
mighty males temper until the shrill
warnings of her fellows caused her to
scamper madly for safety.
But Kerchak was close upon her. so
close that he had almost grasped her
ankle had she not made a furious leap
far into space from one tree to another
"A perilouS chance which apes seldom
take, unless so closely pursued by dan
ger that there is no other alternative.
She made the leap successfully. but
ms she grasped the limb of the further
tree the sudden jar looscncd the hold
Of the tiny babe where it clung frann.
cally TO her neck. and she saw the little
thing hurled. turning ana twisting. TO
the ground thirty feet below
With low cry Of dismay Kala rush.
ed headlong 10 its side thoughtless
now of the danger from Kerchak but
when she gathered the wee munglcd
form TO her bosom life had left it.
With low moaus she sat cuddling the
body TO her, nor did Kerchak attempt
TO modest her WiJI the death Of the
babe his tit Of dcmoniacnl rage passed
rs suddenly rs II had seized bin.
Kcrchak was huge king ape. weigh
ing perhaps 800 pounds His forehead
was extremely low and rcccdug. his
eyes blood.hot small and close set to
Ibis coarse. fiat nose: his ears large ana
thin. bat smaller than most Of his
Kind
His awful temper ana his mighty
strength made him supreme among the
little tribe into which he had been born
some twenty vepr~ before
Now that he was in his prime. there
was no simi0n in oll the mighty forest
through which he roycd That dared
contest DIS right 10 rule. nor did the
other ana larger animals modest him.
Old Tantor fine elephant. alone of an
the wild. savage life. feared him not
ANA him alone did Kcrcbak fear When
Tantor trumuctcd The great ape sour
ricd With bis fellows high among the
trees of thc second terrace
THE tribe nf artnrproiGs. over which
NorhHs rWcd with 1000 iruu hud aud
barred fn-s numbered souc -iy or
eight families each family consisting
OF on n1u.f uH'e With m wives ana
children some -.>ty or seventy apes.
Jll told
kala was Che youngest wife Of
male called Tublat meaning Broken
Nose" and the child she had seen dash
ed to death WAS Der first for sho was
but nine or ten years old
Notwithstanding Der youth. she was
Us rs, and po|s.r.,nl~a snlcdid. clean