Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

darts beneath its breast it brings down its
sharp tusks upon it, infiicting wounds whicr
warn the, robber that the baby cannot bt
taken without struggle.
The orcas play about the two unfortunates
Ike phantoms, now leaping entirely over tht
body of the old warus, again high m atr lus'
ahead, or brushing up against it from behind
A sudden attack from the rear takes the
walrus unawares; the baby falls from its
hipper. and the next moment is almost IN
the jaws of big orca; but the walrus dashes
at it. striking down with the cleaning tusks
and the little one escapes, scrambling upon
the broad, wrinkled back of its protector,
where, high and dry, it looks around in
enemy.
What new. tactics win they now adopt to
steal the baby? 1t does not take long for
IN answer, as down goes an orca deep into
the ocean. then turning, it comes up directly
beneath the big walrus and strikes it a
terrific blow.
This time the novel attack is success
the baby is toppled off by the violence OF
the conclusion, and before the old walrus
can recover from its astonishment, voracious
orca dashes up and the baby walrus is gone,
the parent, deserted by the robbers, beating
the water into foam and rushing this way
and that, in its frenzy and rage; but the
orcas, having accomplished what they were
after, are away for fresh fields and new vic
tories.
So ferocious is the orca that it has been
known to hurf itself out upon the ice in its
efforts to reach seals, showing every evidence
of savage rage.
They are not the only ocean kidnappers.
sword fish has been known to follow up young
seals, endeavoring to inpale them upon its
long, sharp sword.
In northern waters the sea-otter steals out
and kidnaps many a fish that has perhaps
strayed away from home Swimming ont to
kQI m nv
1t lies on the huge leaves, partly submerged,
sometimes on its back, tossing the baby or
playing a game OF tag or chase with it among
the long fronds.
then, leaving the little one, it wanders away
on its kidnapping expedition, to come back
and find perhaps its young kidnapped by an
orra.
Near the great rivers of South America we
prma-the great cats that make their home
in the dense jungles. They are especially
fond of the young tapir, which is a richly
colored or marked little creature, presenting
conspicuous object by the side Of its mother:
away, and the puma or iaguar, that is lying
at full length along some bough or limb,
pounces down upon it, and leaps away into
the bush before the mother realizes what is
the matter.
Among the ants we find some singular kid
nappers. In the instances we have seen, the
kidnappers were in search of food, and every
animal stolen was devoured; but among the
ants it has been found that several hundred
different kinds of insects are stolen simply to
be kept in the ants nests for slaves and
various purposes exactly what can only be
surmised, though, in some instances, it is
known. Thus, some beetles are evidently
kept for the odor they emit, which Is pleasant
to the ants Others emit some secretion that
the little creatures delight in.
Some of the prisoners are blind and very
slow and solemn in their movements; others
are extremely rapid. and go futtering and
running about among the ants in a very ex-
cited manner, apparently attracting no at
tention to themselves, and we can hardly inn
agine their use, unless it is to amuse the slow
going ants.
These Kidnapped victims live in the homes
oil the ants, passing their time underground,
being fed by their captors, and being we'll
treated, have very little to complain Of
Many of the lower animals are kidnappers
in some form or manner. They prey upon
one another, and live by their superior agility,
which enables them to overpower weaker crea-
tures; and while this is apparently cruel law
of nature, it is evident that If 1t were not SO,
the various groups of animals would increase
SO rapidly that it would be impossible to con-
troll them. and human life would be unsafe.