Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-20

myself hurrying madly after him
through the wood, a rife under each
arm and q pile OF various stores in my
hands. He lodged In and out through
the thfckest of the scrub until he came
to a dense clump Of brushwood. Into
this he rushed, regardless of thorns,
and threw himself into the heart of it,
pulling me down by his side.
There" he painted. 81 think we
are safe here. They'll make for the
camp as sure as fate. 1t will be their
first idea. But this should puzzle
EN-"
What is it alp" I asked when I had
got my breath. Where are the pro-
fessors, and who is it that is after us?'
The ape men" he cried. My God,
what brutes, Don't raise your voice,
for they have long ears-sharp eyes,
too. but no power OF scent. so far as I
could judge, so I don't think they can
sniff US out. Where have you been,
young fellah? You were we'll out
Of it."
In a few sentences I whispered what
I had dore.
Then he told what had happened in
nv absence.
1t was in the early mornin Our
learned friends were just stirrin'.
Hadn't even begun 10 argue yet. Sud
denly 1t rained apes. They came down
as thick rs apples out Of a tree. They
had been assemblin' III the dark, l sup
pose. until that great tree over our
heads was heavy with them. | shot
one Of them through the belly, but be
fore we knew where we were they had
us spread eagled on our backs l call
them apes, but they carried sticks and
stones in their hands and jabbered talk
TO each other and ended up by tyin'
our hands with cTeepers, so they are
ahead of any beast that have seen in
my wanderin'S. Ape men-that's what
they are-missin' links. and l wish
they had stayed missin'. They carried
off their wounded comrade-he was
bleedin' like a pig-and then they sat
around us, and if ever | saw frozen
murder it was in their faces They
were big fellows, as big as a man and
II deal stronger. Curious CLASSY gray
eyes they have, under red tufts, and
they Just sat and gloated and gloated.
Challenger Is no chicken, but even he
was cowed. He managed to struggle
70 his feet, and yelled out at them to
have done with it and get it over.
think he had gone bit OF his head at
the suddenness Of It, for he ragged and
cursed at them like lunatic. If they
had been a row Of his favorite press
men he could not have slanged them
worse"
II thought It was the end OF US. but
instead Of that 1t started them on a
new line. They all Jabbered and chat
tered together. Then one of them stood
out beside Challenger. You'll smile
young fellah. but pom my word they
might have been kinsmen. / couldn't
have believed it IL hadn't seen It with
my own eyes This old ape mamie
was their chief-was a sort OF red
Challenger, with every one of our
friends beauty points, only just trifie
more so. He had the short body, the
big shoulders, the round chest, no neck,
a great rudy frill OF "A beard, the tuft-
ed eyebrows. the What do you want,
hang your look about the eyes and
the whole catalogue. When the ape
man stood by Challenger and put his
paw on his shoulder the thing was
complete Summarize was a bit hys-
terical. and he laughed till he cried
The ape men laughed, too. or at least
they put up the devil OF a cacklin'. and
they set 10 work 10 drag US off through
the forest They wouldn't touch the
guns and things-thought them danger
Gus, / expect-but they carried away
all our loose food Summarize and
/ got some rough handlin' on the way
there's my skin and my clothes TO
prove it-for they took Us a bee line