Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-03-08
Mad Devils
What Became of a
Cargo of Cocoanuts
BY CHARLES EDWARD
BANGS

| | noticed of 10 the starboard two
hulks. red with rnst. swash under the
branches of the hiy trees that grew in
dense forest far ont into the sha How
water OF The lagoon One steamer was
wedged In between great boles. the tops
of lis masts showing oddly above the
)Vcrhanping greenery. The other lag
well over upon its side. Ike some port
Y marine monster that bad taken shel-
ter there from the ,ropic sun. How
any person not positive idiot could
have Numbered into such a place M -
ed my comprehension
The repeated blasts from our whistle
had reused the owner Of the croanut
grove that was TO furnish ms our car
and pith helmet which we always asso-
ciate with the white man in the trop.
les appeared ia the stern ~ a boat
which glided ont from under the trees
BEFORE our gangplank was fairly low
cred fall, rawboncI young English
man. distinctly or the gentleman"
type, came over the ships side and in
PRODUCED himself az Sllacklcford, the
man with whom | had contracted to
carry load of nuts to Liverpool.
NO. | haven't black ON the place
ne explained In response 10 an inQuir,
OF mine as we took our places in his
fai Nottomcd boat, manned wholly by
Cinnamon, and started for his bunea
low. whose corrugated roof blazed In
the intense sunlight through a rift IN
the cocoanut grove. 1T costs three
times as much for Chinese labor, but
for some reason / can't get n Niger ID
come near the plantation
That's strange
Wait tin tonight and you'll hesr as
horrible row AZ YOU ever heard. Then
you'll know. The mounta ms back there
are alive with apes. That is why | put
up twenty-five foot high la rhed wire
fence
That evening We were sitting Ia the
bungalow, slipping whisky aud soda
and swapping yarns about Penang.
when volley of barks. sharp rs the
rattle OF musketry. made me spring up
in alarm
Shacsleford put down his glass and
haw- hawed Its only those blasted
apes" he explained when be had man
aged to control his mirth. Take down
that rifle and come along"
Armed with the rifles. we made our
WAY 10 the edge OF the grove near
est the spur Of the mountain. As We
approached r chorus Of snarIs greeted
Us. and I'm the clear starlight ! saw
a host OF Infatuated apes hurting them
selves against The barbed wire fence.
For time the brutes paid little heed
10 our fusillade Then. under the lead
ership OF huge gray ape, they broke
and made for cover.
The great grizZled brute was the last
10 retire, and AT the edge OF the jungle
IL turned and gibbercd AT us Ia a way
shat made my flesh creep II seemed
To voice The fathOmlcss hatred or the
whole jungle world for the usurper
man.
The next morning on our way back
about the two wrecks.
oh. | fancy the fool captains could
not steer straight he replied lightly.
"Longstreth-that's the chap | bought
the grove from said hat both ships
were loaded with cOcoanuts. He would
not talk much about il. though too
sour to talk about anything.
Later. 10 satisfy my curiosity. / row
Ell over and had n look nt he hulkS.
aud az examined them ! noted two
facts that kept ne Specializing for
days. Before either steamer went into
it's present position the boats had been
hastily slashed away. and there wasn't
n single cocoanut TO he seen in either
hold.
That night | spent ashore again with
Shackleford aud when | returned 20
my ship the following morning I found
IL in an ominous state OF excitement
Usually the Chinese portion OF it oc-
cupied the forward part OF the main
deck. eating and sleeping i'm the cor
ners among the steam winches The
lascars had always claimed the fore
castle head, where their tall gaunt
bodies and swathed heads seemed an
inseparable part of the ship. Now. how.
ever, race and caste were forgotten.
and turbans and pigtails mingled pro
miscuously I'm groups that whispered
eagerly ia dozen corners.
At sight OF me they quickly dis
persed, hut with those two rusty hulls
looming up yonder ~ object lessons
took prompt measures TO forestall Il
possible mutiny Summoning The first
mate. half caste from Calcutta thar
I had picked up in Penang when Mac
Phcrson died OF cholera. { locked tho
door behind him. left my revolver OH
the table, whore ne could mediate
upon its use az we talked and then
asked him few pointed questions
lie turned white under his inky skin
but soon pulled himself together and
began TO lie 10 me. know IL by
the way his eyelids fiickered. The bay
was too hot for even Chinaman To
live on; the lagoon was full OF sharks
the typhoon season was coming on
these and dozen other reasons for
leaving AZ once slipped from his oily
tongue and left me more puzzled than
ever.
After that experience / spent no