Passaic City record., 1892-12-17


tives to come and help me to tie her,
but, seeing my prize, they advanced SO
slowly that / had TO threaten to with
hold their wages if they did not come at
once, as the orang-outang was struggling
so violently that feared she would
make her escape ere could secure her.
At this threat the men came on, but still
showed no disposition to touch the
creature, which was uttering shrill cries
of fury and fear and gnashing her long,
formidable teeth at US; so, pulling out
nv bottle of ether and the sponge
used in capturing the more. dangerous
animals, I tied it to a long cane, which
| thrust under the animals nose. She
fell at once, and the men coming up
helped me to secure her with stout
rope.
The young orang-outangs were then
liberated, and on the mother coming to
herself she went to them. | knew the
little fellows were not likely to run away
as long as they were with their mother.
Camp was struck and we started on our
homeward way, going slowly because OF
the necessity of tying the orang-outang's
feet so that she could not escape, though
leaving them so that she could walk, led
behind a horse. We had gone several
miles when sort of roar was heard in
the woods at some little distance behind
US, and from having heard it that day
when the orang-outang was caught, !
recognized it as the cry of anothes OF the
animals. The captive heard it also, and,
raising her dropping head gave shrill
answer. It was evidently her mate,
who, on coming home, had found his
family gone, and had at once started
after them. The natives turned pallid
and broke and ran in insane terror.
Most of them plunged into the river,
while two sought refuge in the branches
of a tree growing on the bank. AS for
me, looked to the loading of my gun
and got out my knife, crouching be-
meath the trunk of q giant sago tree, aud
waited for the great ape that came run
ming, leaping, swinging himself from
limb to limb of the trees as best suited
the speed he was making. When he at
last caught sight of the young orang-
outangs and their manacled mother he
gave a scream, half Of joy, half Of rage,
at the sight, and, running to his loved
ones, began to hug them and lick their
faces with his great red tongue. This
welcome over with, lie cast his eyes about
to ascertain the enemy who had
done all this, and catching
glimpses of the men in the tree swung
himself up into the branches. Seeing
this, the unfortunate wretches climbed
into the highest limbs, into which the
weight of the orang-outang would pre-
vent him following them, but they had
not counted on the cunning of the beast.
Standing on the last branch that would
support him, he reached UP his long
arm and drew the limb on which the
Bornoese sat down until he picked them
from their seats as if they had been
small children, and then leaping to the
ground hurled one of the men to the
earth with such force as to break his
neck. The other he swung about as if
be was a club, and knocked his brains
out against tree.
All this, as may be supposed, took
away my courage, and I felt the hair
rise on my head, and I saw the blood
shot eyes glanciDg around. They saw
me at last, and picking up the club.
which had been the trunk of young
sago, he made for me. I couched as
closely under the fallen tree as / was
able, but had gwen myself up for lost,
when the female orang -outang gave a
cry of warning, and looking up into the
spreading branches of tree that reached
out over our heads, the male saw long
dark body swinging its length from one
of the lower limbs. / saw the object,
too, and recognized it as the anaconda,
the only living creature feared by the
orang- outang. 1t dropped from the
branches around which it had been
coiled, asleep, no doubt, until awakened
by the orang -outang, and, with head
erect, rolled itself along the few feet
that separated it from its enemy, and,
with an astonishing celerity. wound
itself around the body of the ape. That
gentleman trembled with terror, but,
raising his club, brought it down with
such strength as he could muster upon
the tail of the snake. The anaconda
writhed from the pain and threw back
its head, and all but let go its hold,
when the ng-outang managed to slip
from the deadly folds that were wound
around it. Seizing its club again, 1t
aimed another blow at the snake, but
with a sudden twist of itself the ana
conda wrigglcd out of the way, and be-
fore the orang -outang could strike again
had thrown its coils around it, dragged
it to the ground. The ape struggled up
once more, and this time clutched the
snake with its terrible hands just below
the head. The latter's eyes seemed star
ing from its head, and its tail Topped
here and there in its effoxts to free itself
while the ape hung on with death
grip. But the end was not yet come.
The snake frightened its coils around the
orang -outang, drawing them ever closer
in its own agony, until the apes head