Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-06-02

touch of hand upon his shoulder.
With starr he sat up to see Il huge
anthropold ape squatiing at his side,
inspecting him intently.
The Russian was thoroughly fright
encd. lie glanced toward the sailors
they were a couple of hundred yards
away.
Again the ape plucked ut his shout
dcrs, jabhering plaintiyely Paulvitch
saw no menace in the inquring gaze
or in the attitude of the beast. He got
slowly to his feet. The ape rose at his
Side.
Half doubled, the man shuflled eau
tously away toward the sailors. The
ape moved with him, taking one OF his
arms They had come almost 20 the
little knot of men before they were
seen. and by this time paulvitch had
become assured that the beast meant
hm no harm. The animal evidently
was accustomed to the association Of
human beings.
Il occurred to the Russian that the
/ ape represented considerable and GER
tain money value, and before they
reached the sailors he had decided that
! he should be the one To profit by it.
When the men looked UP and saw
the oddly paired couple shutting to-
ward them they were filed with amaze
Incut and started on run toward the
two. The ape showed no sign Of fear
Instead. lac grasped each sailor by the
shoulder and peered long and earnestly
into his face. Having inspected them
all. he returned to paulvitch's side. dis
appointment written strongly upon his
c0uatcnanCe ana ia his carriage.
The men were delighted with him.
They gathered about, asking Paulyitch
maiiy questions and examining his COM
ianioa. The Russian told them that
the ape VAS lis. Nothing further would
he oaer, bat kopt'harpug continually
upon the same theme: THE ape is
lnine The ape is mine"
firing of Paulyitch. one Of the men
essaycd pleasantly. Circling about
behind tie ape, lie prodded the anthro-
poia in tie back with rin.
Like a fash The beast wheeled upon
its tormcutor, and in the brief instant
OF turning the placid, friendly animal
was metat1urpLOsed to q frenzied de-
mon of rage.
The broad grin that hal sat upon the
sailors face as Lee pelpeuatod his little
I joke froze to an expression of terror.
/ lie attempted to dodge the long arms
that reached for him, but, failing, drew
lag knife that hung at his belt.
The ape tore the weapoa from the
/ mar's grasp with a single wrench and
/ dung It to one sild; then his yellow
| fangs were Buried in The sailors shout
der.
With sticks and knives the mans
/ companions fell upon the beast while
! Paulvilch danced around the cursing,
\ snariug pack, iauiabling and scream
Ing pleas and threats. lie saw his Vi
sions of wealth rapidly disslpatlng be-
/ Gore the weapons Of the sailors.
The arc, hoWevc-, proved no easy
victim 10 the superior numbers that
seemed fated TO oyerwhelm him. Rs
ing from the sailor who had precipi-
tatcG the battle, he shook his giant
shoulders, freeing himself from two of
the men that were clinging % his back
and with mighty blows Of his open
palms felled one after another of his
attackers, lcaping hither and thither
with the agility Of small monkey.
The fight had been witnessed by the
ltain and mate, who were just land
ing from the Marjorie W.. and Paul
witch saw these two now running for
ward with drawn revOlycrs, while the
two sailors who had brought them
| ashore trailed at their heels. The ape
stood looking about him at the havoc
hc had wrought, but whether he was
awaiting d renewal Of the attack or
was deliberatiag which of his foes he
should extermlnate first, Paulyitch
could not guess.
What &c could guess however, was
that the moment the two officers came
within firing distance OF the beast they
would put az end to hiia in short order
unless something were Goae, and done
quickly, to prevent.
The ape had made no move TO attack
the Russian. but even so, the nan was
none too sure of what might happen
were he 10 interfere with the savage
beast. now thoroughly aroused to rage
and will tie smell of new spilled BLOOD
fresh IN its nostrls. For an instant Ne
hesltated, and then again there rose be-
fore hin the Grear.s of afliuencc which
this great anthropoid would doubtless
turn to realities once Paulvitch had
landed him safely in some great me
tropOls like London.
The captain was shouting to him non
to stand aside so he might have n shot
at the animal, but instead Paulyitcl
shuflled TO the apes side and, though
the mans hqir quivered nj IFS roots, h,
mastered his fear and laid hold of the
animals arm.
II "Come" he commanded. and tugget
20 pull the beast from among the sail
ors, many OF whom were now sitting
UP In wide-eycd fright or crawling
away from their cOnqueror upon hand:
and knees.
.i..... -.