The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-11-01

companions fell upon the beast, while
Paulvitch danced around the cursing,
snarling pack, lnumbling and scream
ing pleas and threats. He saw his vi
sions of wealth rapidly dlssipating 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 precipi-
tated the battle, he shook his giant
shoulders, freeing himself from two of
the men that were clinging to his back
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 ut the havoc
he had wrought, but whether he was
awaiting a renewal of the attack or
was celebrating which Of his foes he
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
were he to interfere with the savage
beast, now thoroughly aroused to rage
and with the smell of new spilled blood
fresh in its nostrils. For an instant he
hestated, and then again there rose be-
fore him the dreams Of affluence 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
shufiled to the apes side and, though
the mans hair quivered at It's 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 1t show the
slightest Indication of a desire to harm
the Russian. The captain came to u
halt few PAGES from the odd pair.
"Get aside!" he commanded. "Ill
put that brute where he won't chew up
any more able seamen!"
at 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
l 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 1t, did they2" hi
repeated. "IIow about that?" and he
turned toward the sailors, who had by
this time picked themselves from the
ground, none of them much the worse
for his experience except the fellow
who had been the cause of 1t and who
would doubtless nurse sore shoulder
for week or so.
"Simpson done it," said one of thu
men. 'He stuck pin into the monl
from behind, and the monk got him
which served him bloomin' well righ
an he got the rest of us, too, fol
which l can't blame him, since we al
jumped him to once"
The captain looked at Simpson, WHIT
sheeplshly admitted the truth of tn,
, allegation then he stepped over to tn,
; ape as though to discover for himsel
the sort of temper the beast possessed
, But it was noticeable that he kept hi
revolver cooked and leveled as h
did so.
However, he spoke soothingly to tn
/ animal, who squatted at the Russian
t side, looking first at one and then an
| other of the sailors.
AS the captain approached him tn
ape half rose and waddled forward t
: meet him. Upon his countenance wa
> the same straight, searching expression
. that had marked his scrutiny Of eacl
; of the sailors he had first encountered
' He came quite close to the officer an
laid paw upon one Of the man
a | shoulders Studyjnp his foca intenf1