The evening times., 1899-05-13
BfNf.
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The orangoutang Id Sthe big iron cage
sion. The night was stifingly hot, and as
Hans Breitmann and y passed him, drag
ging our bedding to the forepeak Of the
steamer. he reused himself and chartered
obscenely. He had been caught some
where in the Malayan; Archipelago, and
was going to England to be exhibited at a
shilling a head.
1T would be we'll for you, mine friend.
II you was liddle: iseasick," said Hans
Breitmann. pausing by the cage. You
haf too much Ego in your Cosmos"
The orang- -outang's arm slid out negli-
gently from between the bars. No one
would have believed that 1t would make a
| sudden snakelike rush at the Germans
breast. The thin silk of the sleeping suit
tore out. Hans stepped back unconcern-
| edly to pluck banana from bunch hang
ing close to one Of the boats.
TOO much Ego," said he, peeling the
fruit and offering 1t to the Gagged devil. who
was rending the silk to tatters.
IF he was out now dere would not be
much Of US left hereabout," said Hans,
lazily. He screams good. See, now how
l shall tame him when he stops himself.
There was a pause in the outcry. and
frem Hans mouth came an imitation OF
a snakes hiss. SO perfect that l almost
sprung to my feet. The sustained murder
|
wrenching at the bars ceased. The orang-
outang was quaking In an ecstasy OF pure
terror.
dot stop him." said Hans. II learned
dot trick in Mogoung Tanjong when l was
collecting liddle monkeys for some peoples
! in Berlin. Are you asleep, or will you
listen. and will tell dale dot you shall
not pelief?"
There is no tale in the wide world that
l can't believe" l said.
Good. When l was collecting dose
| liddle monkeys-it was in '79 or so, und l
was in der islands of der Archipelago-over
dere in der dark'-he pointed southwark TO
New Guinea generally-"Mein Gott!
would sooner collect life red devils than
liddle monkeys. l was dere for nearly
| year, and dere I found a man dot was
called Bertran He was Frenchman, und
he was a good man-naturalist to the bone.
| De said he was an escaped convict, but he
was a naturalist, und dot was enough for
me- He would call all der life beasts from
der forests. und dey would come.
"Und dot man. who was king of beasts
tanner men. he had in der house shush
| such anoder as dot devil animal in der
cage-a great orang -outang dot thought he
was a man. He haf found him when he was
| a child-der orang -outang--und he was
child and brother and opera comique all
around to Bertran. He had his room In
dot house-not a cage. but room-mit
| bed and sheets, and he would go to bed and
get up in der morning and smoke his cigar
| und eat his dinner nit Bertran. und walk
NIT him hand-in hand, which was most
horrible. Gott: He was not beast; and
| he talked to Bertran, und Bertran COM
| pretended. for / have seen dem. Und he
was always politeful to me except when
talk too long to Bertran und say nodings at
! all to him. Den he would pull me away
dis great. dark deviL init his enormous
| paws-shust as IL 1 was a child; and
! Bimi, der orang- -outsng, haf understood us
both, nit his cigar between his big dog
teeth und der blue gum.
II was dere year. dere und at der oder
islands-somedines for monkeys and some
dimes for butterflies und orchts. One time
Bertran says to me dot he will be married,
| because he haf found n girl dot was goot.
Den he go off courting der girl-she was a
half caste French girl-very pretty. Haf
YOU got a new light for my cigar? Ooof!
Very pretty. Only say: 'Haf you thought
of Bimi? II he pulls me away when talk
TO YOU what will he do to your wife? He
will pull her in pieces. II l was you. Ber-
| tran. / would gif my wife for wedding
present der stuff figure of Bimi.' By dot
time / had learned Something's about der
monkey peoples. Shoot him. says Ber-
tran. He is your beast ! said; If he was
Den / felt at der back Of my neck der
fingers of Bimi. Mein Gott! l tell you dot
he talked through dose fingers. II was der
deaf and dumb alphabet all complete. He
slide his hairy arm round my neck, and he
tilt up my chin und look into my face.
shust to see II understood his talk so well
as he understood mine.
See now dere,- says Bertran. und
you would shoot him while he is cuddiing
you? Dot is der Teuton migrate"
But ] knew dot had made Bimi life
enemy. because his fingers haf talk murder
through the back of my neck. Next dime
| see Bimi dere was a pistol in my belt,
und he touch it once, and open der breech
to show him 1t was loaded. He haf seen
der little monkeys killed in der woods, and
he understood.
$50 Bertran he was married, and he for
got clean about Bimi dot was skippin'
alone on der beach nit half of human
soul in his belly. | was see him skip, und
he took a big bough und thrash der sand
till he haf made great hole like grave.
So SAYS to Bertran: For any sakes. kill
Bimi He is mad init der Jealousy
..Bertran haf said: He is not mad at all.
He haf obey and love my wife, und II she
speaks he will get her slippers und he
looked at his wife across der room. She
was very pretty girl.
Den 1 Sdlu 10 Hlm ShOOt "nch NC
comes to der house, for he haf der light in
his eyes dot means kiiling-und killing
Bimi come to der house, but dere was no
light in his eyes. 1t was all put away,
cunning-so cunning-und he fetch der
girl her slippers. and Bertran turn to me
und say: Dost thou know him In nine
months more dan l haf known him in
twelve years? Shall child stab his
fader?'
Dot next day Bertran came to my house
to help me make some wood cases for der
specimens. und he tell me dot he haf left
his wife a liddle while init Bimi in der
garden. Den l finish my cases quick, und
l say: Let us go to your house und get q
trink.' He laugh und say: Come along.
dry mans
His wife was not in der garden. und
Bimi did not come when Bertran called.
Und his wife did not come when he called,
und he knocked at her bedroom door und
dot was shut tight-locked. Den he look
at me. und his face was white. / broke
down der door init my shoulder, und der
thatch of der roof was torn into great
hole, und der sun came in upon der floor.
Haf you ever seen paper in der waste
basket, or cards at whist on der table
scattered? Dere was no wife dot could be
seen. tell you dere was holdings In dot
room dot might be a woman. Dere was
stuff on der floor und dot was all. looked
Bertran looked a liddle longer at what was
upon the floor und der walls, und der hole
in der thatch Den he began to laugh, soft
and low, und knew und thank Got dot
he was mad. He 'nefer cried. he nefer
! Drovod He ctond ctil1 in dor dnorwav md