that?" and he turned toward the sailors who had
by 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
it, and who would doubtless nurse a sore shoulder for a week or so.

"Simpson done it," said one of the men. "He stuck a pin into the monk
from behind, and the monk got him--which served him bloomin' well
right--an' he got the rest of us, too, for which I 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 it was noticeable
that he kept his revolver cocked and leveled as he did so. However, he
spoke soothingly to the animal who squatted at the Russian's side
looking first at one and then another of the sailors. As the captain
approached him the ape half rose and waddled forward to meet him. Upon
his countenance was the same strange, 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 a paw upon one of the man's
shoulders, studying his face intently for a long moment, then came the
expression of disappointment accompanied by what was almost a 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 at
length to Paulvitch's side, where he squatted down once more;
thereafter evincing little or no interest in any of the other men, and
apparently forgetful of his recent battle with them.

When the party returned aboard the Marjorie W., Paulvitch was
accompanied by the ape, who seemed anxious to follow him. The captain
interposed no obstacles to the arrangement, and so the great anthropoid
was tacitly admitted to membership in the ship's company. Once aboard
he examined each new face minutely, evincing the same disappointment in
each instance that had marked his scrutiny of the others. The officers
and scientists aboard often discussed the beast, but they were unable
to account satisfactorily for the strange ceremony with which he
greeted each new face. Had he been discovered upon the mainland, or
any other place than the almost unknown island that had been his home,
they would have concluded that he had former