The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-11-09

! should exterminate first, Paulvitch
could not guess.
What he could guess, however, was
| that the moment the two officers came
within firing distance of the beast they
| would put an end to him in short order
unless something were done, and done
quickly, to prevent.
The ape had made no move to attack
the Russian. but even so, the man was
none too sure of what might happen
we're he to interfere with the savage
beast, now thoroughly aroused to rage
and with the smell of new spilled blood
fresh in its nostrls. For an instant he
hesitated, and then again there rose be-
fore him the dreams of affiuence which
this great anthropoid would doubtless
turn to realities once Paulvitch had
landed him safely in some great me-
tropOliS like London.
The captain was shouting to him now
TO stand aside so he might have Shot
at the animal, but instead PaulVltch
shuffled to the apes side and, though
the mans hair qUivered at its roots, he
mastered his fear and laid hold Of the
animals arm.
Come" he commanded, and tugged
to pull the beast from among the sail
! ors, many of whom were now sitting
up in wide-eyed fright or crawling
away from their conQueror upon hands
and knees.
Slowly the ape permitted Itself to be
led to one side, nor did it show the
slightest Indication of a desire to harm
the Russian. The captain came to q
halt few PAGES from the odd pair.
Get aside!' he commanded. I'll
put that brute where he won't chew up
any more able Seamen!'
SIT wasn't his fault, captain" plead
ed Paulvitch. please don't shoot him.
The men started it-they attacked HIM
first. You see, he's perfectly gentle
| and he's mine-he's mine-he's mine
! [ won't let you kill him !" he concluded,
! as his half wrecked mentality pictured
anew the pleasure that money would
! buy in London-money that he could
not hope to possess without some such
Windfall as the ape represented.
The captain lowered his weapon.
The men started it, did they?' he
repeated. "How about that?' and he
turned toward the sailors, who had by
his time picked themselves from the
@round, none of them much the worse
for his experience except the fellow
who had been the cause of 1t and who
would doubtless nurse q sore shoulder
Tor Il week or so.
simpson done It," said one Of the
men. HE stuck a pin into the monk
from behind, and the monk got him
which served him bloomin' well right
an he got the rest of us, too, for
which 1 can't blame him, since we all
jumped him to once"
The captain looked at Simpson, who
| sheepishly admitted the truth Of the
allegation; then he stepped over to the
| ape as though to discover for himself
the sort of temper the beast possessed
But it was noticeable that he kept his
revolver cooked and leveled as be
did so.
However, he spoke soothingly to the
animal, who squatted at the Russian
side, looking first at one and then an
| other Of the sailors.
AS the captain approached him the
ape half rose and waddled forward to
meet him. Upon his cOuntenance was
the same straight, searching expression
| that had marked his scrutiny of each
| of the sailors he had first encountered
! He came quite close to the officer and
/ laid a paw upon one of the man
shoulders, studying his face intently
for a long moment: then came the e1-
preston of disappointment, accompa'
MED by what was almost a human
! sigh. as he turned away to peer in the
same curious fashion into the faces OF
| the mate and the two sailors who had
! arrived with the officers.
| In each instance he sighed and passed
| on, returning at length to Paulvitch's
side, where he squatted down once
more, thereafter evincing little or no
interest in any of tie other men and
apparently forgetful Of his recent bat
tie with them.
When the party returned aboard the
Marjorie W., Paulvitch was accompa-
MED by the ape, who seemed anxious
to follow him. The captain interposed
no obstacles to the arrangement, and
so the great anthropoid was tacItly adj
! mitted to membership in the ships
company.
Once aboard he examined each new
face infinitely, evincing the same dis
! appointment in each instance that had
marked his scrutiny of the others.