The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-07-18

heroic one; but at last, finding es
cape impossible, they lose heart anc
resign themselves to their fate. Th,
next day party of koonkies, ridder
Dy naked men, enters the stockade
surrounds a captive, and, its leg.
having been tethered, the animal i.
removed by two tame elephants
which drag it along the ground. Il
soon becomes reconciIed to captivity.
The catching of elephants in pit.
falls is now stictly forbidden. 1t was
cruel method of capturing the ami
mails, as they were often badly hurt.
One of the most difficult animals to
capture is the giraffe. For one thing,
Tits pace is so swift and its stride SO
Gigantic that it is almost impossible
Tor horse to keep up with it.
The giraffe goes about in troops,
generally, and these vary in 1aunber
srom one hundred and fifty Individual
alimals down to seven. You must
eve endeavor to force your quarry
into the open ground, where your
workwill be comparatively easy. To
pursu, it in the dense, thorny jungles
of the South African country is al
most impossible, for the cruel thorns,
which is enormously thick hide
nearly al inch-can venture to de-
spise, teai men and horses to pieces.
Giraffes are rapidly becoming scarce
and valuable animals, having been
much pursued of late years for their
beautiful skins.
Bringing wild animals over the sea
is always matter of great difficulty
and sometimes of great danger.
A man was trans-shipping collec-
ton of beasts to America, large
portion of passenger ship being
specially fitted up for their reception.
All went we'll until one fateful day,
ominously still and terri6calIy hot,
following which a storm sprang up in
the middle of the night.
By some fearful chance, in the
rocking of the vessel some of the cage
doors burst open, and with yell, the
officer of the watch flew down into
the saloon. Get to your cabins" !"
he cried, "as quickly as possible, and
lock your doors the animals have
got loose"
The captain quickly rose, walked
to the door, closed it, and said: "La-
dies andgentlemen, you will keep your
places; there will be no danger if you
keep quiet. 1 will go up on deck,
and we shall soon get the animals
into their places" The passengers
for the time being were perfectly
safe, but the scene that met the cap
tain's gaze as he reached the deck,
with his revolver in hand, was terri
flying.
Four lions and a tiger had got free
and were raging madly up and down
the deck. A dozen men were crouch
ed down by the galley, absolutely
tiger made spring for them. With
yell they dispersed all over the deck.
Quick as lightning the tiger flew upon
one of the poor wretches, and with
one stroke of his paw felled him to
the ground, and then, growing fierce
ly, began paving him as cat might
mouse.
This was the captain S opportunity,
and, raising his revolver, he put a
bullet into the creature brain. With
a groan it rolled dead beside its vic
tim. A moment later he settled for
ever the worldly interests of one of
the lions as it bounded suddenly into
view.
Then an extraordinary thing oc-
Cured. A number of the sailors and
trainers formed themselves into cor
don, and slowly and steadily advanc-
ed in line upon the three remaining
fugitives.
Lions are at heart but cowardly
creatures, and these, when they saw
the men advancing upon them in line,
turned tail at once and fed for dear
life. One of the trainers rushed be-
low and speedily reappeared with an
enormous light wooden hoop. Rush
ing to the side of the ship he held it
high aloft and called to the lion.
"Now, Charlie, " he said, "come on
that'sa good chap p By sheer force
of habit Charlie sprang through the
hoop and into the sea.
OF the other animals, one was shot
and the other induced to re-enter the
cage, so that only one lion remained
to the unfortunate owner, who was
half distracted by what was to him a
very heavy loss.
The catching of the hippopotamus
is no light task. Hunters start out,
and as soon as a mother with young
has been discovered, she is speared to
death. Frequently the animal makes
a great fight for life, but in the end
she succumbs and the young one is
taken into captivity.
1t is of interest to know what prices
these animals fetch after they have
been captured at such danger and ex-
pense.. Prices, generally speaking
have gone up very much since 1885,
according to Mr.. Hagenbeck's list.
For instance, twenty years ago you
would have had to pay from $4I5 tc
$I,I25 for a male giraffe. Now he
would bring from S., 500 to 81, 900.
An Indian rhinoceros in 1882 would
cost So, 500; now you would have tc
pay $4,000.
An Indian elephant, full grown
costs 81, 500; lions vary from $500
to 81, 800, and Bengal tigers are pro
curable for $1,000, though a hairy
Siberian tiger is well worth $4,000
These latter prices, 1 think, refer tc
animals when sold by the pair.
Ostriches are sold at $375 the pair
AS an ostrich goes usually at thu
rate of twenty-six miles an hour, i
may be readily imagined how Difficult
a bird it is to catch. Certain tribe
in South Africa have actually trained
| H. ILL 0,.oc