Publisher's Synopsis
Mr. Harold Moore was a bilious-countenanced, studious young man. He took himselfvery seriously, and life, and his work, which latter was the tutoring of the young son of aBritish nobleman. He felt that his charge was not making the progress that his parents hada right to expect, and he was now conscientiously explaining this fact to the boy's mother."It's not that he isn't bright," he was saying; "if that were true I should have hopes ofsucceeding, for then I might bring to bear all my energies in overcoming his obtuseness; butthe trouble is that he is exceptionally intelligent, and learns so quickly that I can find nofault in the matter of the preparation of his lessons. What concerns me, however, is the factthat he evidently takes no interest whatever in the subjects we are studying. He merelyaccomplishes each lesson as a task to be rid of as quickly as possible and I am sure that nolesson ever again enters his mind until the hours of study and recitation once more arrive.His sole interests seem to be feats of physical prowess and the reading of everything thathe can get hold of relative to savage beasts and the lives and customs of uncivilizedpeoples; but particularly do stories of animals appeal to him. He will sit for hours togetherporing over the work of some African explorer, and upon two occasions I have found himsetting up in bed at night reading Carl Hagenbeck's book on men and beasts."The boy's mother tapped her foot nervously upon the hearth rug."You discourage this, of course?" she ventured.Mr. Moore shuffled embarrassedly."I-ah-essayed to take the book from him," he replied, a slight flush mounting hissallow cheek; "but-ah-your son is quite muscular for one so young.""He wouldn't let you take it?" asked the mother."He would not," confessed the tutor. "He was perfectly good natured about it; but heinsisted upon pretending that he was a gorilla and that I was a chimpanzee attempting tosteal food from him. He leaped upon me with the most savage growls I ever heard, lifted mecompletely above his head, hurled me upon his bed, and after going through a pantomimeindicative of choking me to death he stood upon my prostrate form and gave voice to amost fearsome shriek, which he explained was the victory cry of a bull ape. Then he carriedme to the door, shoved me out into the hall and locked me from his room."