The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-09-09
HAGGERUP & CO.,
Dealers i'll
WILD ANIMALS.

WILD ANIMALS.
A huge plate-glaSs window in front,
barred with heavy iron rods five inches
apart, was belching forth. smoke,
through which the burning sun shone
fully, Illuminating a smashed plate
glass tank right in front, with a thou
sand strange fish Tapping and flashing
on the floor amid the smoke and con-
fusion.
"Feuer! Feuer!" screamed the ex-
cited mob of sailors and longshore-
men. The huge iron-bound door had
evidently been burst open from with
in at the first alarm, and men went
plunging through the cavernous open
ing with hastily snatched pals of wa
ter, and. other men came struggling
out, dropping, almost overcome with
smoke.
Then the fire wagon changed up.
Amid that hell of noise there came
an instantaneous lull. Christopher
Poe, on the edge of the crowd and
near the long side of the building ex-
tending back to the water, felt that he
heard far-off splash as though some
huge animal, maddened by the flames,
had plunged into the water somewhere
In the rear of the building. But duller
and less watchful ears would not have
caught the sound at all, for an instant
later the hubbub had broken out
afresh, even more multisonorous.
There came a sudden metallic ring
amid the vociferation; the heavy noz-
zle of the fire hose had already been
rushed into service, and had changed
against an iron shield to the big door.
It was all over in an astonishingly
short time.
Something possessed Poe; he chafed
under the yoke of inaction. Selling an
extra helmet from the wagon near by,
he dashed into the building fearlesssly,
Once within, Poe engaged, amid the
clearing smoke and sitting steam, in
hand-to-hand '>confict with several
Mona monkeys, Sooty Mangabeys and
Patas, which, in the excitement, had
evidently broken open the door to the
huge vivarium where they had been
Gagged together as peaceful mates.
When some order had been finally
restored and the firemen were leav-
ing, Poe Joined the three frightened
animal keepers, who were counting
the recaptured monkeys, lemurs and
marmosets.
Thank Cod" cried one in German.
'None of the larger beasts had got
loose. If Babo, the ape. or that tiger
there had got out! Mein Colt! What
a scene! What a scene there would
have beeni"
One of the keepers dashed off at
that moment toward the crocodile
pond, enclosed by low wire fence.
The crocodiles were still in commo-
ton, doubtless due to the heating OF
the water in their pond and the cement
which cropped out dry near the rail-
ing, where they sometimes lay, half
out of water.
A cry came from him as he stopped
before single cage, the door flung
open, swinging useless.
sBabo!" he screamed. "Babo did
escape. Where is he?"
The appalled, keepers were dumb
IOuuOSO, OUO " LILO AAOA1I dOOA
to see if he had gone that way; an
other ran to the rear, and the third
suddenly chased off toward a gallery
at the side, where huge Hamadryas
baboon, who had SO far escaped no
tice, chung to a wall support, uttering
explosive. ear-cracking cries. The
beasts had by no means become quiet.
A sweat-dripping rhinoceros belched
forth an occasional roar that made the
building tremble; and two huge croco-
dies in the tank were flashing their
tails and beating about in a frenzy.
Christopher Poe, aroused by the
strange actions of these reptiles, step
ped to the wired enclosure; one of the
huge pairs of jaws snapped at him as
he approached and the wicked little
eyes, set bulgingly at the sides of the
head, cleaned cruelty. Warned back,
Poe stood at slight distance, looking
on at the fierce foment within the
pond There were three beasts, one
lying close to the railing. utterly silent
with the usual malicious, hypocriticai
amile of that reptile when its jaws and