Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-06-02
CHAPTER I.
PauIvitch and an Ape.

The Marjorie VS. long boat was
floating down the broad Ugambi with
ebb tide and current. Her crew were
lazily enjoying this respite FROM the
arduous labor of rowing upstream.
Three miles below them lay the Mar
jorie herself, quite ready to sail 50
soon as they should have ciambered
aboard and swung the long boat to its
davits
Presently the attention Of every man
was drawn from his dreaming or his
gossiping TO the northern bank of the
river. There, screaming at them in a
cracked falsetto, and with skinny arms
outsuetched, stood Il strange appaM-
ton of man.
"Wot in thunder?" CALCULATED one Of
the Grew.
- white nan :" muttered the mate;
and then: Man the oars, boys, and
Wei just pull over an see what ne
wants"
When they came close to the shore
they saw an emaciated creature with
scant white locks, tangled AMI matted.
The thin, bent body was naked save
for loin cloth. Tears were rolling
down the sunken, pockmarbed cheeks.
The man jabbered at them in a strange
tongue.
"Rooshun," hazarded the mate.
"Savvy English?" lie called to the
man.
The scarecrow did, and in.that tongue,
brokenly and haltingly, as though it
had been many years since he had used
1t, be begged them To take him with
them away from this awful country.
Once on board the Marjorie W. the
stranger told his rescuers a pitilGl tale
of priyation, hardships aud torture, ex-
tending over period OF ten years.
How he happened to have come to
Africa he did not tell theIl, leaving
them to assume that lie lad forgotten
the Incidents Of his life prior 90 the
frightful ordeals tat had wrecked him
mentally and physically. Ills naule, lie
said, was Alexis Pauyitch.
A few scraggly, yell0w-whito locks
had supplanted the thick dark hair that
had once covered his head. His limbs
were bent and twisted; he walked with
shutting, unsteady gait his body
doubled forward. lis teeth were gone
knocked out by his savage masters.
Even his mentality was but sorry
mockery Ct what ii ouco had lecn.
They took him aboard TIE Marjorie
W., and there they fed and uursc1 hira
He gained little IL strength, but his
appearance never altered for tie bet
ter--a human Gerelict, battered and
wrecked, they had fOucG hin human
derellct, battere1 and wrecked, he
would remain until Geath claimed hin.
Alexis Paulvitch could easily have
passed for eighty.
The Marjorie w. had been chartered
by a syndicate Cf wealthy manufuc-
turers, equipped with a laboratory AID
staff Of scientists AM sent out To
search fer some natural product which
the manufacturers WHO footed the bills
had been importing from South Amer
lea at az ea1rnous cost. What the
product was zone on board the Mar
1orIe w. knew except the scientists (;
nor is ii OF any moment 10 Us, other
than that Ii led tie ship t. certain
island Off tie coast Of Africa after
Alexis Paulvitch had been taken
aboard.
The SHIP lay at anchor eff the coast
for several weeks. The raonotony OF
life aboard Ter became trying for The
crew. They went often ashore, and
finally Paulvltcl asked to accompany
thcr1-he, too. was firing Of the blight
Ing sa.neness of existence upon the
ship.
The island was heavily timSered.
Dense Jungle ran down al.-ost II Tie
beach. The scientists We're far isalaud,
prosecuting their search for the valu-
able commodity that native rumoE
upon the mainland had led them to be-
llieve might be found here In market
able quantity.
The ships company fshed, huhteo
and explored. Paulvitch shuiiicd VI
and down the beach or lay in the SHADE
of the great trees that skirted a.