The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-06

these geological stock farms, where strang-
ers need guide to avoid an emo ohnter with
the sideshow pets running loose in all dl-
rections and rearing their young In ell Sorts
OF unexpected places. "Don's stir that
brush pils,n said the agents cicsrone,
there's O pair OF poroupines in there and
they might scare you II they start up all OF
sudden. Not too far that way, either" he
lnterposed, seeing the visitor trying to take
detour TO > the left; ''the old he-oaooon
makes that crib his headquarters and might
tear your coat to pieces, and so on, Till
they reach the lion kennels, series OF grot-
toes excavated from a ledge of porous lime
stone and secured in front with short iron
bars.
How do you keep those youngsters from
running away sltogetherp inquired the
agent, stepping back to rid himself OF two
baby lions that had squeezed through the
bars and were Juggling away at his trousers:
80, you couldn't drive them away"
laughed the proprietor. an old Arab, en-
gagged In cleaning the dens by means Oh
longhandled hoe. They play all over the
yard in the evening. but come back of their
own accord as soon as the night gets little
cool.
"Some OF your boardsrs seem to feel quite
at home, said the visitor, pointing to a
huge male lion that had turned over on his
back and was playing with stick and a
fragment OF Skull bone.
eyes, they are taking il easy enough"
said the old Arab, ''only one stormy nights
notice that thew get restless and pull
about the bars as if they were trying to
find way out. 1t is the time when their
relations In the wilderness are doing most
of their business
But the most tamable of all the big cats
Is the East Indian cheetah, or hunting leop-
ard, a creature which, in It's habits and APP
pearance, seems to form a curious connec-
ting link between the cats and dogs. Its
legs are longer than those of a tiger, IL has
true canine teet, thick and deep-rooted like
those OF hound, and its claws are rather
blunt on account Of being less per-
fectly retractAble than those of
common cat. The dog cat, as some natural
lists have proposed to call the cheetah, gets
so tame that it can be trusted to pass the
night under its masters bed, and will play
for hours with aggressive and troublesome
puppies without losing its good humor. But
out In the fields its seml-teline instincts are
apt 70 revive at the most unexpected mo-
ments. 1t will fly at domestic animals or
bristle up with an ominous growl at sight
of running boy, and on hunting eKcur-
sions it is by far the safest plan to keep its
eyes covered till there is a chance to get
glimpse of legitimate game.
az once brought up young chsetah with
sOul6 KE6l pups, bd1h hh 1AuklAnh
officer who passed several years in a garri-
son town IN Northern Hlndostan. even
when nearly full grown IL would play with
any dogs. some of which did not much
relish its bounding at them, and was always
sportive and froliosome. 1t get much
attached TO me, and at once recognized Its
name, Billy, and would follow me like a
dog, every now and then sitting down for
few seconds and then racing after me again
1t was very fond of being noticed, and used
to purr Just like a cat. Ia the garden it
used to climb on any high object-the
stump of tree. stack of hay-and from
this elevated perch look all around fer
some moving object. AS it grew up it took
first to attacking sheep, and after had
cured It of that ha it 1t would attack
donkeys and get well kicked by them, and
when only half grown il flew one day at a
big tame nylghau Ia species OF antelope,
and mRulsd its legs badly before 1t could be
pulled off,"
Swift-footed animals, with abundant ia
cilities for making a living OF their own,
are apt to take French leave in spite Of
kind treatment, although in moments Of
danger such Tenegades will sometimes re-
member an old protector and volunteer to
renounoe their truancy. The post trader Of
the Forbin de San Pablo, near Mazatlsn,
raised a young ocelot which hung about
the house. or rather the ranch, for a couple
Of years, but at last ceased to recognize the
authority of the landlord. Juanita would
absent herself for weeks together and visit
the post only as a guest, or a privileged
member OF an inspecting committee, for
she rumages the premises, appears and dis
appears without asking anybody's leave,
and resents every attempt at familiarity on
the part Of her former owner. But
one evening she had just entered
the store when a troop of horsemen
sa-l,N ,I- ~ la
government scout with big wolf dog
stepped up 70 the counter, while his COM
panions deposited their saddlebags near the
open door. Juanits cast an uneasy glance
at the blockaded door, and in the next in
slant caught sight of the dog, and he of her
when the attitude OF both parties became so
dtsagreeabty suggestive OF an impending
set-to that the scout reached for a stick to
chase the dog out. But Juanita either mis-
construed his motive or had already made
up her mind to secure vantage ground,
for just when he faced about she leaped
upon the counter with the next jump upon
the shoulder Of her old master, and there
procee ded to get her back up" growing
viciously and bristling up to twice her
natural size, like cate
Old balloons, naturally the most surly Of
prisoners, will treat their keeper with a
tilial affection varying with the quality of
thu menu, aud e frst-class caterer can
manage to domesticate even such boarders
as wolves and reptiles. A German colouist
of New Freyburg, Brazil, has collected
houseful Of stuffed birds, that have been
described by several travellers, but 10 the
opinion of the natives the euTiosties Of his
museum are eclipsed by the menagsrie OF
his daughter, whose culinary talents have
charmed the souls Of some of
the widest denizens of the
forest, incl ding several tree suakes
which In Mexico, too, are often domesti-
Gated for housing purposes) and a large
boa, formidable looking monster with the
disposition Of lap-dog, that will share the
ohildren's breakfast of milk and bread aud
at signal of his benefsctress will curl
himself up in her apron with a supernumer-
airy coil or two around her feet.
But an indigestion or brief delay of the
dinner hour is liable TO modify the amiable
disposition Of such pets, and beast trainers
who keep boas for exhibition purposes pen
orally take care to postpone their perform
ances till after meal times.