Monkeying with ancestors

In Short

Set in the dusty railroad town of Paradise, this classic Western comedy follows two penniless cowboys, Hen Peck and Chuck Warner, who cross paths with a fiery Italian performer and his escaped performing ape, Ajax. After dressing the high-strung primate in human clothes and accidentally arming him with a six-shooter, the pair unleash a night of absolute havoc upon the local saloons. Mistaken identity, town-wide panics, and sobriety-inducing encounters with a gun-toting ape drive a brisk narrative that has endured as a masterclass in early American slapstick humor.

The Story

Broke and bored in the quiet town of Paradise, cowboys Hen Peck and Chuck Warner sit on a depot platform wishing for train fare when a commotion erupts from an arriving baggage car. A theatrical Italian trainer, Pedro Adonis Ferretti, is thrown off the train along with his performing ape, Ajax. When Pedro gets knocked unconscious by a liquor bottle, Hen and Chuck decide to entertain themselves by outfitting Ajax in Chuck’s chaps and shirt, topping off the joke by handing the animal a loaded six-shooter. The ape immediately fires a shot into the platform, sending the two terrified cowboys running into the night.

Dressed like a human and carrying a heavy revolver, Ajax wanders directly into Mike Pelly’s saloon. There, five seasoned gamblers—Doughgod Smith, Mighty Jones, Harelip Hansen, Tellurium Woods, and Mike Pelly—are deep in a dishonest game of poker. Blindsided by the bizarre, gun-wielding creature sitting beside them, the terrified gamblers assume they are suffering from alcohol-induced hallucinations and hastily switch their orders from straight whiskey to soda water. The tension snaps when Doughgod hurls a glass at Ajax, prompting the ape to catch the projectile smoothly before accidentally firing his revolver straight into the poker pot. The saloon erupts into panic as the patrons flee, leaving Ajax to completely dismantle the bar establishment.

Meanwhile, Chuck sneaks away to steal the unconscious Pedro’s odd city clothes to replace his own missing attire. As Ajax roams the dark streets, the confused townsfolk spot the ape in Chuck’s distinct clothes and assume Chuck Warner has gone on a violent, gun-toting rampage. Sheriff Bill McFee assembles a posse to hunt down Chuck, while local cowboy Muley Bowles swears revenge after being ambushed and thrown from his horse by what he believes is his rival. Hen and Chuck attempt to corner Ajax to retrieve the weapons and clothing, but the primate repeatedly outmaneuvers them, knocking down their escape ladder, ripping away Hen’s clothing, and stealing Chuck's cash roll.

The town’s chaos climaxes at Dug Chaffin’s saloon, where the bruised gamblers, the posse, and the two bewildered cowboys converge. Muley lies dazed on a pool table, spouting bizarre original poetry about the ordeal. Just as Sheriff McFee prepares to arrest Chuck for the night's destruction, Pedro bursts into the saloon demanding his performing animal. Pedro hurls a heavy rock at the sheriff, missing him and striking behind the bar—where Ajax has been hiding all along. The ape emerges unhurt, happily reunites with his trainer, and the two depart town together. Shortly after, the station agent arrives to return Chuck’s retrieved clothes, inside of which Chuck discovers his stolen cash roll fully intact. Sitting back at the bar, Chuck uses the funds to buy a round of drinks for the whole room, concluding that while human evolution remains open to debate, it never pays to monkey with one’s ancestors.

How It Unfolds

An unexpected arrival Hen Peck and Chuck Warner idle on the Paradise depot platform, lamenting their poverty and the utter lack of excitement in town. Their dull evening shatters when an arriving train forcibly ejects an eccentric Italian showman, Pedro Adonis Ferretti, alongside his performing ape, Ajax.

The monkey gets armed When Pedro gets knocked unconscious by a falling bottle, Hen and Chuck decide to entertain themselves by dressing Ajax in Chuck’s chaps and flannel shirt. The harmless joke takes a perilous turn when Hen hands the ape a loaded Colt six-shooter, which Ajax fires before fleeing into the darkness.

A terrifying poker visitor Ajax wanders into Mike Pelly’s saloon with the gun across his lap, taking a chair right next to a high-stakes poker game. Believing the armed primate is a vision brought on by heavy drinking, the shaken gamblers quickly abandon whiskey for soda water until Ajax accidentally shoots the chip rack.

A case of mistaken identity Because the ape is wearing Chuck's distinct cowboy outfit, the townsfolk assume Chuck Warner has gone on an unprovoked shooting spree across town. Sheriff McFee gathers a posse to arrest him, while Hen and Chuck spend the night getting knocked around while fruitlessly trying to disarm the ape.

Chaos at Dug Chaffin's The community-wide search culminates at Dug Chaffin's saloon, where the posse corners Chuck while local cowboy Muley Bowles lies dazed on a pool table reciting original poetry. Pedro charges into the room demanding his primate and hurls a rock that inadvertently flushes Ajax out from behind the bar.

Ancestral dividends Pedro happily reclaims Ajax and leaves Paradise, while the local station agent returns Chuck’s missing clothing. Upon discovering his stolen roll of money tucked safely inside his chap pocket, Chuck buys a round of drinks for the saloon, concluding their wild night on good terms.

The People

Hen Peck wants to escape the grinding monotony of Paradise without ending up in jail or on the wrong side of a lynching mob. Though his ill-advised decision to give Ajax a loaded revolver sets off the evening's disasters, he manages to keep his skin intact by outrunning both the posse and the ape, finishing the night thoroughly bruised but relieved.

Chuck Warner seeks excitement, a winning poker hand, and enough cash to live comfortably. His main obstacle is his own impulsiveness, which leaves him stripped of his clothes, accused of wild shootings, and hunted by his neighbors. By the end of the night, Chuck recovers his lost funds through unexpected means and embraces his bizarre experience with easygoing humor.

Pedro Adonis Ferretti wants to protect his valuable performing primate, Ajax, and collect damages from the railroad that mistreated them. Hindered by his volatile temper and a lack of understanding from the locals, he fights his way through Paradise before successfully reuniting with Ajax and departing with his animal and pride intact.

Muley Bowles desires revenge against Chuck for an alleged ambush, only to be repeatedly sidelined by physical mishaps and his own poetic eccentricities. After being thrown from his horse and knocked flat in a saloon brawl, he transitions from an angry gunman to a harmless, rhyme-spouting spectator lying on a pool table.

In Its Own Voice

Hen Peck describes the sudden arrival of the volatile Italian trainer when the train door opens at the platform.

“Me feex uh you! You kick uh me, eh? You kick uh Ajax! Cur-r-rse uh you!”

Doughgod Smith experiences a crisis of confidence while staring at the armed primate sitting across from him at the poker table.

“I may be as loco as uh louse, but, by the horns on the moon I’m going to find out.”

Muley Bowles breaks into absurd, original verse to express his deep sense of betrayal after believing Chuck shot at him.

“I loved him like uh brother, And I shared with him my bed. I gave him half of everything, Now he tries to shoot me dead.”

What It's Really About

Beneath its chaotic slapstick exterior, the story plays with early twentieth-century ideas about human nature and evolutionary theory. By introducing a trained ape that imitates human vices—drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes, playing cards, and handling firearms—the narrative humorously blurs the line between civilized men and wild beasts. The hypocritical poker players, quick to cheat one another yet eager to blame their alcohol-induced vision when confronted by Ajax, demonstrate how fragile human pretension really is. The town’s collective panic highlights how quickly gossip, paranoia, and mob mentality can turn ordinary citizens against one another over misunderstandings. Ultimately, Tuttle uses farce to suggest that despite humanity's claims to sophistication, human behavior in small-town frontier society remains absurdly close to that of its supposed animal ancestors.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy classic American humor, Western parodies, or fast-paced farce will find this story a delightful, lighthearted gem. Tuttle’s writing captures the energetic voice of early twentieth-century pulp fiction, offering a rapid succession of absurd situations and witty banter. The narrative moves with relentless momentum, delivering genuine laughs through physical comedy, sharp dialogue, and ridiculous escalations.

However, modern readers should be prepared for period-specific elements that require some adjustment. The text relies heavily on phonetically rendered vernacular—specifically the heavily accented broken English assigned to the Italian trainer Pedro—as well as informal cowboy dialect that reflects the popular literary conventions of 1918. Additionally, the casual handling of loaded firearms and vintage frontier slights belongs distinctly to its era. For those willing to look past these dated stylistic choices, the story offers an entertaining slice of vintage humor. Its memorable depiction of superstitious gamblers swearing off whiskey at the sight of an armed primate will remain with readers long after the final page.