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

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 the
men. ''IIe stuck n pin into the monk
from behind, and the monk got him
which served him bloomil' well right
an he got the rest of US, too, for
which l 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 il was noticeable that he kept his
revolver cooked and leveled as he
Gid so.
However, he spoke soothingly to the
animal, who squatted mt the RUSSIANS
side looking first at one and then an
other of the sailors. .t5
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 paw upon one of the mans
shoulders, studying his face intently
for long moment; then came the eX-
preston of disappointment, acconpa-
MED by what was almost n 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 ut length 10 Paulvitch'S
side, where be squatted down once
more, thereafter cyincing little or no
interest in any Of the 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
J SO the great anthropoid was tacitly adj
United 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.
The officers and scientists aboard Of
/ tex discussed the beast, but they were
unable To account satisfactorily for the
strange ceremony with which he greet
eG each new face. Had he been discov-
cred upon the mainland or any other
/ place than the almost unknown island
that had been his home they would
/ have concluded that he had formerly
been pet of man, but that theory was
not tenable In the face of the isolation
of his uninhabited island.
| He seemed continually TO be search
! ing for some one, and during the first
days OF the return voyage from the
island he was often discovered nosing
about In various parts of the ship, hut
after he had seen and examined each
face of the ships company and cxplor-
/ cd every corner Of the vessel, he laIsed
into utter Indifference of all about him.
Even the Russian elected only casual
interest when he brought him food. At
other times the ape appeared merely
to tolerate him.
lie never showed affection for him or
for anyone else upon the Marjorie w.
Nor did he at any time evince any in
dication of the savage temper that had
marked his resentment OF the attack
OF the sailors upon him at the time
that he had come among them.
Most of his time was spent in the
eye of the ship, scanning the horizon
ahead, as though he were endowed
with sufficient reason TO know that the
vessel was bound for some port where
there would be other human beings to
undergo his searching scrutiny. All In
all, Ajax, as he had been dubbed, was
considered the most remarkable and in
telligent ape that anyone aboard the
Marjorie w. had ever seen.
| Nor was his intelligence the only re-