The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-05

! dEIc QudHlIly.
The ships company fished. hunted
and explored. Paulvitch shuffled up
! and down the beach or lay in the shade
of the great trees that skirted it.
One day, as the men were gathered
at little distance, inspecting the body
Of panther that had fallen to the gun
Of one of them who had been hunting
inland. Paulvitch lay sleeping beneath
| his tree. He was awakened by the
touch of hand upon his shoulder.
, With ste=t he sat up to see huge
anthropoid ape squatting at his side,
| inspecting him intently.
The Russian was thoroughly fright
ened. He glanced toward the sailors
they were a couple Of hundred yards
away.
Again the ape plucked at his shout
ders, jabbering plainively. Paulvitch
saw no menace in the inquiring gaze
or in the attitude Of the beast. He got
slowly to his feet. The ape rose at his
side.
Half doubled, the man shufaed eau
tiously away toward the sailors. The
ape moved with him, taking one Of his
arms. They had come a.inuss to tho
little knot Of men before they were
seen, and by this time Paulvitch had
become assured that the beast meant
him no harm. The animal evidently
was accustomed to the association Of
human beings.
It occurred to the Russian that the
ape represented considerable and Ger.
tain money value, and before they
reached the sailors he had decided that
he should be the one to profit by 1t.
When the men looked up and saw
the oddly paired couple shutting to-
ward them they were filled with amaze
ment and started on run toward the
two. The ape showed no sign Of fear.
instead. he grasped each sailor by the
shoulder and peered long and earnestly
into his face. Having inspected them
all, he returned to Paulvitch's side, dis
appointment written strongly upon his
countenance and in his carriage.
The men were delighted with him.
many questions and examining his COM
panion. The Russian told them that
the ape was his. Nothing further would
he offer. but kept harping continually
upon the same theme: 1.-THE ape Is
mine. The ape is mine."
firing of Paulvitch, one Of the men
essayed a pleasantly. Circling about
behind the ape, he prodded the anthro-
poid in the back with a pin.
Like a flash the beast wheeled upon
its tormentor, and In the brief instant
of turning the placid. friendly animal
was metamorphosed to frenzied de-
mon Of rage.
The broad grin that had sat upon the
sailors face as he perpetrated his little
joke froze to an expression Of terror.
he attempted to dodge the long arms
that reached for him. but, failing, drew
long knife that hung at his belt.
The ape tore the weapon from the
mans grasp with single wrench and
flung it to one side; then his yellow
fangs were buried In the sailors shoul-
der.
With sticks and knives the mans
companions fell upon the beast, while
Paulvitch danced around the cursing,
snarling pack. mumbling and scream
ing pleas and threats. He saw his VI
sions Of wealth rapidly dissipating be-
fore the weapons Of the sailors.
The ape, however. proved no easy
victim to the superior numbers that
seemed fated to overwhelm him. Ris
. ing from the sailor who had precipk
lated the battle, he shook his giant
shoulders, freeing himself from two of
the men that were clinging to hisback
and with mighty blows Of his open
palms felled one after another Of his
attackers, leaping hither and thither
with the agility Of small monkey.
The fight had been witnessed by the
captain and mate, who were just land.
ing from the Marjorie W., and Paul.
witch saw these two now running for.
ward with drawn revolvers, while the
two sailors who had brought them
ashore trailed at their heels. The ape
stood looking about him at the havoc
he had wrought, but whether he wat
awaiting renewal of the attack OF
was celebrating which of his foes hi
should exterminate first, Paulvitct
could not guess.
What he could guess however, wa
that the moment the two officers cant
within firing distance Of the beast tha
would put an end to him in short orde,
unless something were done, and done
quickly. to prevent
The ape had made no move to attach
the Russian, but even SO. the man wa
none too sure of what might happex
were he to interfere with the savage
beast. now Thoroughly aroused to rags
and with the smell Of new spilled bioot
fresh In it's oeshil& For an instant h
lesftated, and then again there rose b
. fore him the dreams Of adfuence whia
: this great mthropoid would 0oubtIe9 ;
turn to realities once P6u8vitch ha1