Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-19
CHAPTER w
THE APES

CHAPTER w
THE APES
In the forest of the tableland n mile
back from the ocean old Kewhak the
Ape was on a rampage of rage among his
people.
The younger and lighter members of his
tribe scampered to the higher branches
of the great trees to escape his wrath
risling their lives upon branches that
scarce supported their weight rather than
face old Kerchak in one of his fits OF
uncontrolled anger
The other males scattered in all direc-
tions, but not before the nfurinted brute
had felt the vertebra of one snap be-
tween his great, foamng jaws
a luckless young female slipped from
an insecure hold upon a high branch
and came crashing to the ground almost
at Kerchaks feet.
With a wild scream he was upon her.
tearing a great piece from her side with
his mighty teeth, and striking her vi
ciously upon her head and shoulders
with broken tree limb until her skull
was crushed to jelly.
And then he spied Kala, who returning
from a search for food with her young
babe, was ignorant of the state of the
mighty males temper until suddenly the
shril 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 furious leap
far into space from one tree to another
n perilous chance which apes seldom If
ever take, unless so closely pursued by
danger that there is no alternative.
She made the leap successfully, but as
she grasped the limb of the further tree
the sudden jar loosened the hold of the
A.. i. II, fNp nll to
her neck and she saw the little thing
hurled. turning and twisting, to the
ground 30 feet below.
with n low cry of dsmay Kala rushed
headlong to its side, thoughtless now OF
the danger from Kerchak; but when she
gathered tho wee, mangled form to her
bosom life had left 1t.
with low means she sat cuddling the
body to her: nor did Kerchak attempt
to molest her. With the death of the
babe his fit of demoniacal rage passed
as suddenly as it had seized him.
Kerchak was n huge king ape, weigh
ing perhaps $50 pounds. HIS forehead
was extremely low and receding, his eyes
bloodshot, small and close set to his
coarse, fiat nose; his ears large and thin,
but smaller than most of his kind
His awful temper and his mighty
strength made him supreme among the
little tribe into which he had been born
some 20 years before.
Now that he was in his prime, there
was no simian in all the mighty forest
through which he roved that dared con-
test his right to rule, nor did the other
and larger animals molest him.
Old Tantor, the elephant, alone OF all
the wild savage life, feared him not
and he alone did Kerchak fear. When
Tantor trumpeted, the great ape scurried
with his fellows high among the trees
of the second terrace.
The tribe of anthropods over which
Kerchak ruled with an iron hand and
barred fangs, numbered some six or eight
families, each family consisting of an
adult male with his wives and their
young numbering in all some SO or 70
apes.
Kala was the youngest wife of male
called Tublat, meaning broken nose, and
the child she had seen dashed to earth
was her first for she was but nine or ten
years old.
Notwithstanding her youth, she was
large and powerful-a splendid, clean
lmbed animal, with round high fore
head, which denoted more intelligence
than most of her kind possessed. So also,
she had a greater capacity for mother
love and mother sorrow.
But she was still an ape, huge, fierce,
terrible beast of species closely allied
to the gorilla; yet more intelligent;
which, with the strength of their cousin.
made her kind the most fearsome or
those awe-inspiring progenitors of man.
When the tribe saw that kerchak's
rage had ceased they came slowly down
from their arboreal retreats and pursued
again the various occupations Whlch ne
had interrupted.
The young played and frolcked about
among the trees and bushes. Some of
the adults lay prone upon the soft mat
of dead and decaying vegetation which
covered the ground. while others turned
over pieces of fallen branches and clods
nf earth in search of the small bugs
and reptiles which formed part OF their
food.
Others, again, searched the surround
ng trees for fruit, nuts, small birds and
They had passed an hour or so thus
vhen Kerchak called them together, and.
With word of command TO them to FOL
ow him. set off toward the sea,
They Travelled for the most part upon
he ground, where 1t was open. follow
ng the path of the great elephants
whose comings and goings break the only !
,oads through those tangled mazes OF |
,ush vine, creeper and tree. When they |
walked II was with rolling awkward |
notion, placing the knuckles of their |
,losed hands upon the ground and swing |
But when the way was through the |
over trees they moved more swiftly, |
winging from branch to branch with the |
Lgility OF their smaller cousins, the mon |
,eys. And all the way Kala carried her |
title dead baby hugged closely to her |
,reast.
II was shortly after noon when they |
cached a ridge overlooking the beach |
where below them lay the tiny cottage |
which was Kerchak's goal
He had seen many of his kind go to |
heir deaths before the loud noise made |
w the little black stick in the hands OF |
he strange white ape who lived In that |
wonderful lair, and Kerchak had made |
I'D his brute mind TO own that death
Iealing contrivance and to explore the
Interior Of that mysterious den.
He wanted. very, very much, to feel
lis teeth sink into the neck of the queer
.nimal that he had learned to hate and
ear, and because OF this, he came often
With his tribe to reconnoiter, waiting for
time when the white ape should be of
lis guard.