Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-07-28

the brave man ss eoolly as one could
possibly imagine.
'However, he went on, II wasn't
out of tho woods, even then, as yOa
English call it, for just as | thought !
was getting away all right and could
get her safely into the box the last
Dvthon in the cage, tremendous giant,
also tried t. attack me. As soon as /
saw this ! called out to my assistant to
throw a blanket over her. This he
managed to do. At the same moment
moved backwards out of the cage and
got free of it altogether and then L had
a little rest. My men tried to dissuade
me from going back, each of them say
ing they would not do it. l felt very
exhausted, but my temper was fairly
up and l determined l wouldn't be
beaten. So, after a few moments, L
stepped again into the cage, caught
them both round the backs of their
necks, dragged them as quickly as L
could to the edge of the cage and then
between us we flung them into the box.
Had not my assistants been near me
nothing could have saved me from be-
ing squeezed to death. All! it was
terrible adventure, continued Mr..
Hagenbeck, 'and don't want SINH
lar experience again. Now come and
look at my alligators and l will tell you
of an adventure 1 had with them" "
Passing by an enormous aviary, IN
which Auttered and screamed thou
sands of beautiful parrots, we came at
last to large tank in which we're slow
ly padding round some spiteful look
inc alligators. There said Mr..
Hagenbeck, as he pointed to the cruel
looking beasts. Il had ghastly ad-
venture with them once. l had to
pack sixteen of them up for the Dus-
seldorf Geological Gardens. l grappled
hold of the first one and was pulling
him ashore. when he gave a frlghtul
blow with his tail and knocked me into
the tank. where for a brief moment, L
was alone with fifteen alligators
Those who were standing by told me
that as soon as l splashed in number
of them made q rush. However, | was
out again like an India rubber
ball: but the whirl of the water and
the open jaws Of the disappointed
beasts told me that l had not been one
second too smart This was very
narrow escape as if one of the croco-
dies had happened to get hold OF me-
all the rest would have attacked me,
swapping and biting at me at one and
the same moment, until there would
have been nothing left of me Mt all.
"Alligntors are the most determined
fighters even amongst themselves.
Six of them, each about fourteen feet
long, had a frighful fight amongst
themselves once, and so desperately
did they fight that within fourteen
DAYS they were all dead. Three Of
them had their jaws broken, and IN
some cases their legs were torn right
out of their bodies This occurred Mt
night. and one of the keepers, happen
ing to hear the frightful noise which
was made by the clashing of their jaws,
rushed off to tell me what was happen
ing. We lit our lanterns and hurried
to the scene Of action, but beyond try
ing to separate them with long poles 1t
was little we could do. They would
only renew the fight with greater
ferceness than ever, and 50 terribly
were they wounded that, as l said,
they we're all dead in fortnight.
Now, when 1 get a new consignment
of alligators | always muzzle them for
four days with rope; they then calm
down and cut the rope off; other
wise, if did not do that they would /
begin fighting as soon as they came /
out of the box, for the first sight of
daylight after the long journey always .
seem to excite them.
"A fight amongst the snakes, also, is
a terrible thing. / had once five big
pythons, each over sixteen feet long,
in one cage. One of the keepers flung
in dead rabbit amongst them, and
two of them, being very hungry, at
tackled it at once. At the same mo-
ment the other four flew at them and
in one moment ali the six were in one
lump. The keeper fetched
me and / at once attempted to uncoil
them. / succeeded but hardly had
done so, when the fight began between
the first two. The larger one threw
his tail round the small ones neck and
squeezed it with such force against the
wall that it lost all power, then the
bigger snake got hold of the rabbit
and swallowed it, after which it
gradually loosened its hold Of the
smaller snake. Then came revenge;
the small snake flew at the big one,
which was rendered almost helpless by
is huge meal, bit it in the back,
oiled round and round it, and
squeezed it till it could hardly breathe,
,Itbouob n ecreamed 0y had never