Tombstone epitaph., 1915-09-19

ton. Poe suddenly started Through the head of the animal. just above one closed eye. was a neat round hole. as though made by bullet of high call Der: as the American looked close. he found that the hole was full of slow, sluggish blood. clotted at the top. a little of the thinner fluid dripping down the nose of the reptile and along the scallops of his jaws. damned to- gether as they were in that character istic grim grin.
 At that moment the keeper who had rushed to the rear came back with big. frightened eyes. and held cut thick steel window bar. pointed at one end. where il had fitted through hole in the iroa-reinforced masonry. That end of the rod was coated with thick blood for six inches upward from the point
 "Babc jumped into ;he water from the little back window. ripping out these bars" he cried in German Look, It is blood He has used it to kill. or has hurt himself with it."
 Poe answered smoothly in the same tongue. us though Il were his Ian guage.
 "Rut an ape does not swim"
 "He does not swim if he can help it. Ach, Gott. do not know what to make of it all"
 How did the fire start" asked Pee. That l do not know. either"
 But what kind Of an ape was Ba- boz" asked Poe. feeling privileged through his work in assisting with the 1 recaging of the monkeys.
 "Oh. he was tad one" said the first keeper. We haven't had him more than q week He was to be shipped 10 America. He was big I brute, four feet high. an orangoutang; strong enough to twist of that big lock to his cage. you will notice. | Weighed one hundred and forty pounds Just came from Eorneo. | Seemed to be half tame, but vicious; you never can tell about those orang- i outangs. They bought him from na- { tive. The largest ever caught; worth | d thousand dollars or more. It will mean our jobs. the losing of him"
 And here's another little loss an swered Poe soberly. taking the rod from the second keeper and pointing to the hole in the crocodile's head. | "Mein Gott," cried the head keeper. the second keeper and the assistant in a commiserating chorus. IL was easy to see how the animal had been killed
 "Ach." cried the head keeper, here is another five hundred dollars gone. IL is a rare Asiatic crocodile, lives only in salt water"
 Better hoist il out" warned Poe. as the other crocodiles were still flashing about. now and again striking with their tails the dead carcass. or the hide went be worth mounting" The suggestion was acted upon at once. and few minutes later. by the aid of d poie CT two and some rope tackle. the monster lay without the enclosure.
 Poe suddenly found himself alone beside the ugly form on the floor. The keepers had been interrupted by po- licemen and interested agents of the company, who had been admitted to the building. As he stopped 10 exam inc the mouth, he gave a sudden start. | Where the scalloped edges of the jaws joined he noticed blood. and thought it came from the wound But now he 1 realized his mistake and. looking around to make sure that he was not observed. carefully took the clean end of the window bar and pried open the huge mouth. He swayed back at the astonishing sight that presented it's self. Then. controlling himself in a second. after passing a wavering hand | through his hair. the helmet having toppled on, he made quick, covert motion, took something from between the ugly jaws of the monster. wrapped | the object deXterously in two hand kerchiefs. and slipped it into his coat pocket, a strange. thoughtful expres- sion coming into his intense violet eyes. lips and eyebrows twitching in thought.
 Then he stood up. the reptilian jaws mashed back to place. and he turned to talk with one of the members of the firm of Haggerup & Co. who had been summoned 10 the scene of havoc.
 You were very lucky" said Poe | | ne Ire was well COntfclieC-
 ''Ah. but the res, is not over yet The fire did not do much damage, but think what may happen with Babo loose in the city, He is a powerful ape. He may kill a dozen men while avoiding recapture. It is not so much the loss of him as the fact that we can't conceal his escape or the peoples lives will be endangered. We must tell all. and it will give the house bad name. It will make people afraid of us"
 Call your keepers, then, and warn them to say nothing about it. I think I can recover your ape before he col iects any toll Of human life, if you'll keep the thing secret. If it gets out that you know Babo has escaped, you won't have such a good chance to get him back"
 And who are you?" asked the other, ] evidently impressed by Poe's manner. Never mind that now. Ten me, have they found how the fire started?" Yes. It was accidental. The big fish tank filled with strange new speci-