The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-05-25
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A wide, open space lay before us
--sumc hundreds of yHrds ayUss
ali green tugf and low bruvken
growing to the very edsv Of tho
cliff Round this clearing there
was a scmi-cirCle ~ trees with curt
Gus huts built OF foliage piled one
above The other among the
branches, A rockery. with every
nest a little house. would best con.
Vcy the idea. The opening OF these
huts and the branches OF the trees
werc thrungCd with dense mob
Of ape people. whom from their size
took 90 he tho females and I'm
lants OF the tribe They formed
tho background of the picture. and
were an looking out with eager
Interest at the same scene which
fascinated and bcwildercd us,
In the open, and near the edge
OF the cliff. there had assembled a
crowd OF some hundred of the shay
gy. rcd haired creatures. many Of
them OF immense size, and all OF
them horrible 20 look upon, There
was a certain discipline among
them. for mono OF them attempted
TO break the line which had been
formed. In front there stood
small group OF Indians little, clean.
limhed. rcd fellows, whose skins
Elowed like polished bronze In tho
strong sunlight, \ tall. thin white
man was standing beside them, his
head bowed. his arms folded, his
whole attitude expressive OF his hor
ror and detection, There was no
mistaking tho angular form Of Pro
fessor Summarize,
In front OF and around this dc.
jected group OF prisoners were sew
cral ape.men. who watched them
closely and made all escape impoS.
sible Then. right out from all the
others and close TO tho edge OF the
clirf. were two figures, so strange.
and under other circumstances so
ludricous, that they absorbed my
attention. Tho ono was our com
rade. Professor Challenger. The re
mains OF his coat still hung Ia
strips from his shoulders. but his
shirt had been all torn out, and hts
great beard merged itself in the
black tangle which covered his
mighty chest. He had lost his hat,
and his hair. which had grown long
in our wanderings. was flying IN
wild disorder. A single day seemed
10 have changed him from the
highest product OF modern ciyillza'
ton 10 the most desperate savage
Of South America. Beside him stood
his master. the king Of the ape
men. In all things he WIS. as
Lord John had said. the very Inn
age OF our Professor save that his
coloring was rcd instead OF black,
The same short. broad figure. The
same heavy shoulders, the same for.
ward hang Of the arms. the same
bristling beard merging itself In
the hairy chest. Only above tho
eyebrows. where tho sloping fore,
head and low. curved skull of the
ape.man were in sharp contrast TO
the broad brow and magnificent
Uranium Of the European. could one
see any marked difference. At
every other point the king was an
absurd parody OF tho professor.
All this. which rlkes me so long
TO describe. impressed Itself upon
me IN a few seconds. Then we had
very different things TO think OF.
for an active DRAMA was in prog
ress. Two OF the ape-mcn had
seized one OF the Indians out OF the
group and dragged him forward 10
the edge OF the cliff Tho king
raised hts hand as a signal They
caught the man by his leg and arm,
and swung him backwards and
forwards with tremendous violence.
Then, with a frighiful heave they
shot the poor wretch over the pre-
cipicc. With such force did they
throw him that he curved high In
the air before beginning to drop.
As he vanished from sight. the
whole assembly, except tho guards.
rushed forward TO the edge OF tho
precipicc, and there was ono long
PAUSE of absolute silence. broken hy
a mad yell Of delight. They sprang
about, tossing their long, hairy
arms in the air and bowling with
exultation. Then they fell hack
from tho edge. formed themselves