Avon Fantasy Reader No. 12 — page 96: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Of course, both your food and drink were doped, as you call it. But is it not better to meet fate which even the bravest man puts off as long as he can, the translation from one existence to another form of life? Think it over. I must attend to that suffering ape in the kam- ong. Slowly, frightfully, the ghastly truth dawned in his mind. He sat in a hell of chaotic and frenzied fear, and when the drink was brought he struck it from the man’s hand. He was unarmed, helpless; even his clothes were gone, except the cotton pajamas in which he sat. His body shuddered as he realized the fiendish surgeon fully intended to make an ape of him! Chattering fear took him down the steps to where the Chinese bent over the chained ape, but two Malays dogged his steps and stood beside him as he began to plead against the fate in store for him. The end came suddenly. From the trees dropped a cyclonic fury of fighting apes, bellowing their rage, knocking the Malays aside, seizing them by the feet and swinging their heads against the palms, break- ing their skulls like egg-shells. Dineen turned from the sight of the surgeon being torn to shreds, Then he was caught over the shoulder’ of an ape and swung to the trees, the guttural Malay of Tabak in his, ears. The ape-man Rourke was gathering up the surgical instruments, bottles of medicine and rolls of gauze. A hell of noise, shrieking, roaring, screeching, rang in Dineen’s ears until he was carried to the trec platform. The hei ght above vround made him crouch low beside the she-ape which lay limp on its side. When the case of instruments and drugs was thumped down beside him Dineen touched the she-ape’s body. [He sat back on his heels and shook his head. “She is dead,” he said. In the swaying aerial perch he felt numbed after the fright in his mind and din of the fight. He watched dully as the ape-men picked up the dead orang-outang and lowered her body to the thicket of lianas below, where they vanished. He was alone in the tree as night fell and the prowlers of darkness began their mysterious rustlings, the insect clack and clamor arose. He slept and wakened as the Scorpion crawled down the sky and the Southern Cross was dimmed by dawnlight He shrank from an attempt to descend, but thirst tortured so badly that summoning his courage he swung from the platform to the nearest branch, and working his way by the tree crotches he reached the protruding root-knees and got to solid ground. He drank from moisture of night dew cupped in leaves, and followed a well-defined trail to higher ground. [lis men had fled, leaving the cold ashes of a campfire to mark the place where they had been. All day he traveled, following their trail, and at dark he saw smal] lights fiickering against 94 Comicbhooks.com