Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-03-08

! tinually FOR the slightest hint OF rebel
lion. Early the next morning when
the cocoanuts began ia arrive on the
big bamboo RATS | noted with a grin
OF satisfaction that all hands sci 10
an alacrity which they had never be-
fore manifested Ia my service.
Taking on cargo occupied week
and during that time | never left the
| ships deck farther than he cabin.
The following evening we put out TO
tea. the men working like demons 10
yet away before night shut down,
| Shackleford laughing ali the while ut
their eagerness To he rid OF what he
| declared 10 be The finest spot east OF
Suez.' His Cinnamon shall never
| forget that last glimpse OF them
squattcd upon the empty bamboo RATS.
their cues wound about their I'M
shaved heads. the sweat sill stream
| ing down their naked bodies 10 the
flimsy cotton panialoonS corded about
their waists. and viewed our departure
out OF their narrow eyes with features
- impressive as those Of stone Bud.
dha. What did they know about the
Two rusty hulks. the gray thing" that
haunted them. and what bad hey told
my crew! wondered. Worn out with
trying week. turned In.
A shock hurled me crom my berth
and ss | CROPPED about in he darkness
, for the key OF the door the sound of
irEah .ar .af IA. raj
Ing across the cabin window made me
guess my surroundings. Swinging ON
deck. | turned ins;inctively TO the
wheel, AMI there. bowed over II like
AL old man and clutcllAg the spokes
with dairy hands. was n huge gray
appetite yer, monster .ShacN .eford ana
] had failed 10 bring down me night ~
the raid upon the cocoanut grove.
AT sight Of me it reiinquished its
hold upon the wheel and sprang al
me-. barring It's teeth ia Sadden rage.
Whipping out my pistol. began 10 ire
and back away ana brought Il down
with shot ia It's gaping mouth just
AZ il was reaching ont its horrible
corded arms 20 seize ne. As it col
lapsed with gasping shuddcr at my
very feet sprang backward from sheer
repulsion ana in doing SO fell into the
lagoon through hole in the railing
that tine thick branch OF IA tree had
carried away.
Not til then did the full sIg..idcance
Of what had transpred dawn upon
me crew there was none. but apes
from the surrounding trees and the
Two rusty hulks that had 80 puzzled
me aud that now lay on either side
came swarming upon The steamer
till they covered everything winches,
forecastle head the empty dayits. the
spare anchors. the very rigging-with
gray wrthing mass that struggled
and fought and screamed in wild
rush for the cocoanuts which could
easily he reached through the main
hatch left open 10 prevent overheatins.
Swimming round TO the rudder nov
completely out OF water above the mad
~ racing screw, climbed up beyond
the reach or sharks and listened 10
The appalling pandemonium till the
last cocoanut must have been removed
from the hold, when the brutes grad
ually dispersed through he forest
Afraid TO venture back on deck,
at daylight | mounted piece " the
round house that had been swept over
board and made my way on The in
coming tide up the channel which lei
10 The plantation. On the edge OF the
grove parsed N incredu'ous wonder,
and then the truth came home 10 me.
Under fierce attack or the apes the
wire fence had at last given way.
ana the cocoanut grove was IN ruins.
shack eford : bungalow | found in u
state Of piilaee 50 complete that only
the four upright posts remained. ana
The himsy hnts occupied 10y the Chi
nese aborers were tcaltered about ~
If struck Dy q tvphoon.
Not fsr from the ruins found
Sha kleford's beautifully stained meer-
schsum pipe tranplcd unto he earth
10y most OF passing .eet ana protrud.
ing from uudcf tattcred ,Ocoanut
leaf was hinamans cue. streaked
with gray, Dut no Celestial al the se'-
cred end. Prepared for the worst.
was Fastening down the newly benton
path oward The Jungle When groan
10 my left atlra tied my attention, anu,
rushing over i found Shackleford ant
his Cinnamon neatly trapped under the
barbed wire FEN"
You see. Shaealciord explained
when nad pried up the edge OF the
deadly netting. which they we're un
able 80 raise with their bare hands be
cause uf The inch long harbs. we were
poking the baly brutcs off the Fence
with shsrpcncd bamboos and having
40 cud Of fun when their weight
doubled the whole ihiig over and shut
Ms into ~ line little fort as fellow
could wish for liza. ma.
Shacklcford. followed by score OF
bedraggled cinnamon crawled out
stiifiv from his Involuntary but lucky
IMPRISONMENT and looked ruefully al
his blood spattcrcd clothes They rip
ped mud tore al the netting like ioi
of mad devils. BE- continued. ana thv
blood from heir iarerated feet came
through on lis ike shower of warm
rain uU, nome at us was hurt except
Nh cong over there iir was "A bH
arclcss and net his pi-tail stiles Oh
through the netting Lucky thing
had kuifc. yon SOUR old hcathen
turning to q I9ed rhiuauau Who's
~, had hccn Sorerrd lose 60 bis head
or that ZIG ape iha got hold Of lie
end VI n would haIa nullcd II oat by