The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-01

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dies in the tank were lashing thcu
tails and beating about in frenzy.
Christopher Poe, aroused by th'
strange actions of these reptiles, step
ped to the wired inclosure; one of The
huge pairs OF jaws snapped at hm "a
be approached and the wicked lIttl'
eyes, set bulgiugly al the sides of th'
| head, cleaned cruelty Warned back
Poe stood at slight distance. looking
on at the fierce tomcnt within tlf
pond There were three beasts, one
lying close to the railing, utterly silent
with the usual malicious, hypocritlca.
smile of that reptile when It's jaws and
eyes arc shut in sleep. Strange that
il could sleep through al the commo
lion. Poe suddenly started, Through
the head of the animal, Just above one
closed eye, was neat round hole, rs
though made by a bullet of high cali
Der; ms the American looked close he
found that the hole was full OF slow
sluggish blood. clotted at the top, a
little Of the thinner fluid dripping
down the nose of the reptile and along
the scallops Of his jaw. jammcd to-
gether as they were in that character
istic grim grin.
At that moment the keeper who had
rushed to the rear, came back with big,
frightened eyes, and held out thick
steel window bar, pointed at one end,
where it had fitted through a hole IN
the iron-reinforced masonry, That end
of the rod was coated with thick blood
for six inches upward from the point.
"Babo jumped into the water from
the little back window, ripping out
these bars he cried in German.
"Look! IT is blood! He has used it TO
kill or has hurt himself with il.
Poe answered smoothly in the same
tongue, as though 1t were his Ian
guage;
E'He does not swim If he can help 1t!
make of it all. -
Chow did the fire start?,' asked Poe.
."That ] do not know, either
''But what kind of an ape was Ba
bo?N asked Poe, feeling privileged
through his work in assisting with the
recaging of the monkeys.
'tOh, he was a bad one, said the
first keeper. "We haven t had him
more than week. He was to be
brute, four feet high, an orang- outang;
strong enough to twist off that big
lock to his cage, you will notice.
Weighed one hundred and forty
pounds. Just came from Borneo.
Seemed to be half tame, but vicious;
you never can tell about those orang-
outangs. They bought him from a ma
tive. The largest ever caught; worth
a thousand dollars or more: 1t will
mean our jobs, the losing of him.
And here S another little loss, an
swered Poe soberly, taking the rod
from the second keeper and pointing
to the hole in the crocodile IS head.
HMeip Gott!' cried the head keeper,
the second keeper and the assistant IN
a commiscrating chorus, 1t was easy
to see how the animal had been killed.
"Ach,' cried the head keeper. E' Ba-
bo must have twisted off his lock, re-
leased his monkey friends IN the big
vivarium, and then lcaped for the win
dow in the back, through which he es-
capped. He must have stumbled over
the low fence 10 the sunken pond here;
[ have always feared 1T myself. The
crocodile. excited by the fire and all,
must have snapped at him, and Babo,
struck him through the
head full force with the steel rod he
jcrked from the window
"But that means Babo must have
gone to the window first and procured
the steel bar objected Poe. ou
can t explain it that way; he wouldn 7
be likely to 90 to the window and
take out the steel bar and come back
'No. II doesn't seem so. But. neh."
cried the head keeper. here Is another
five hundred dollars gone. 1t Is rare
Asiatic crocodile. lives only in salt wa
ter"
Better hoist il OUT warned Poe, as
the other crocodiles were still lashing
ABOUT, now and again striking with their
tails the dead carcass, ''or the hide won't
he worth mounting.
The suggestion was acted upon al once.
and a few minutes later. by the aid OF
pole OF two and some rope tackle, the
monster lay without the inclosure,
Poe suddenly found himself alone be-
side the ugly form on the floor, The
keepers had been interrupted by police
men and interested agents OF the com
pany, who had been admitted TO the
building. AS he stopped 10 examine the
mouth, he gave a sudden start, Where
the scalloped edges of the jaws Joined he
the wound. But now he realized his
mistake and. looking around to make sure
that he was not observed. carefully took
the clean end OF the window bar and
back at the astonishing sight that pre-
scnted Itself. Then, controlling himself
in a second, after passing q waverng
hand through his hair, the helmet having
motion, took something from between the
ugly jaws OF the monster wrapped the
object dexterously in two handkerchiefs.
and slipped 1t into his coat pocket,
strange, thoughtful expression coming
into his intense violet eyes. lips and eye
brows twitching In thought.
Then he stood up. the reptilian jaws
mashed back to place, and he turned to
talk with one Of the members OF the
arm of Haggerup & Co.. who had been
summoned 20 the scene of havoc
You were very lucky" said Poe.
''The hre was we'll controlled. .
"Ah. but the rest is not over yet Tho
fire did not do much damage: but think
what may happen with Babo loose in
the cityi He is "A powerful ape. He may
kill dozen men while avoiding recap
ture. 1t is not so much the loss OF him
as the fact that we can't conceal his
escape or the peoples lives will be en-
dangered. We must tell all. and IL will
give the housc bad name. 1t will make
people afraid of us
You haven't given out the news
NO"
Call your keepers. then, and warn
them 10 say nothing about IT. I think
! can recover your ape before ne col
lects any toll Of human life. II you'n
keep tho thing secret. II IL gets out
won't have such good chance 10 get
him back"
And who are your asked tho other,
evidently impressed by Poe's manner
Never mind that now. Tell me- have
they found how the fire sterted?''
Yes. n was occidental The big nsh
tank flled with strange new specimens
was moved today by some longshoremen.
and foolishly left right where II would
get the afternoon suns rays. I have eau
toned against that before Then voros