South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-13

flame up ne 5erked of the remaining .
bars and when your surprised keep 7
ers dashed from tleir charters
through the smoke and confusion 7.
Jock Jumped in at the back win
dow. barefooted for quickness, as he :
always worked aboard ship. carry
ing one OF the bars with him 10
break of the lock on 3a bo's cage. I
In his haste and eagcrness he ac- .
cidently stumbled into the crocodile I
pen. ore Of the aroused reptiles
nipped of two OF his toes He
promptly killed the beast with the
pointed steel window rod. rushed
TO BabO's cage and released his pet, /
who probably chung 20 him, though I
OF course. he was very heavy. That
species Of ape. IS very faithful TO a
chosen master and only dangerous
7.ith strangers. Jock then broke
open the big common monkey cage
with the bar. 10 insure the elapse of
greater space OF time before Babo /
should be missed. II the fire were
controlled He calculated we'll Then /
he probably pushed Babo first
through the window in the rear
and plunged into the water himself
| heard the splash. Then he must
/ have helped Babo into the boat, /
crawled in himself disguised him |
/ frightened pet in the hood and
shawl. and rowed along the more
! deserted and smaller wharves back /
/ 10 the foreign quarter, where ne had /
rented the boat. Then he explained
TO the boatman. suspicious of his
bundle. that it was his sick daughter
and told the same story 10 the LODI
inE house lady. probably saying
something about a woman or max
/ ing some explanation for his sore
foot. which he had stopped TO band |
age in burlap anew at the water
mans.
But how on earth did you arrive !
at all this" asked the ponderous
German. as quickly as he could
speak. in keeping with his phleg-
matte nature.
'Weu. I'm not sure yet of all the
points. But the explanation will do
in the main. I discovered at differ
1 ent places a few blood-tracks and
/ the rags in which Jock had wiped
/ his feet You see. the whole thing
/ hinged on the fact that 1 found
Jocks toes in the dead crocodile's
/ jaws: the black skin made me sure
\ Of Jock. So l just hunted around
and stumbled on the clues l have
mentioned. 1t was quite easy with
! the souviner Jocks foot had left. I
/ think Wen find that he's been taken
] TO the hospital, and if he lives he'll
/ probably CorrobOrate my rough
sketch of the facts I've known a
good many black men who become
very much attached 10 a pet of
some sort. Your head keeper said
! ADO was bought from a native and
! that set me TO thinking. Any way,
/ YOU have Babo back. 1 paid the
/ man who rowed me for his silence
! and the sailors as Frau Klittenlein' 5
are too fearful OF the law to say
what they imagined to be in that
| little ROOM
BY this time they had arrived at
| the hospital. and, as Poe expected.
| found Jock, who had just been
brought in by the astonished sailors
who had no wish 20 have the man
die on their hands.
Poe and a member of the Hagger-
UP firm sat with the black fellow
] until he became conscious. Then Poe
/ easily possessed himself of all the
! facts This story sketch had been
| correct in all essentials. Poor Jock
sobbed pitifully for his pet, and eX
| planned how he had caught Babo
when young, with his own hands.
and had only been led TO part with
! him 10 the seaport trader owing to
| his own dissolute life Of drunken
ness and petty criminality. which al
ways found rim in dire need of
money.
! After he had awakened from the
| spree celebrated on the proceeds of
| Babo's sale he was lonesome. No
human being could satisfy his long
/ ing He wanted BabO back, so he
| shipped to Hamburg. being a uni
versal wharf rat, sailor and petty
/ thief. acquainted with the whole
world. Arriving almost as soon as
/ Babo, he located the Haggeup ware
house and hung around waiting for
some chance 10 steal back his pet.
| AT last he grew desperate and when
/ chance threw the opportunity in the
\ shape of the plate-glass fsh-tank in
/ his way he seized upon it, worked
/ out the details with the craft of a
I blood careless savage and carried
I the plan TO its frightful finish, blind
/ TO everything but his own great
need.
(THE ENID