New-York tribune., 1921-06-12

However, / engaged passage on a coast
steamer going northward, and stopped off at
Kalantan, Patani and Singora, in lower Siam
At those places l gathered all the information
/ could about animals and made myself known
to dealers
l wanted to make trips to the interior, but
to do so / needed special permit from Bang
kok. Instead, / made agreements with ali the
dealers that they were to send their animals to
me, and arranged with the captains and
chinchuS of the coast boats for the trans
portation of the crates. By offering to pay
the freight and give them fair share Of the
profits l cut off a large part of Ariff's busi-
ness.
On my return to Singapore found letter
from the director of the Melbourne ZooIogi-
cal Society suggesting that l come to Aus
tralia with consignment of animals A few
weeks later I arrived at Melbourne with a
black leopard, twenty-five small monkeys, two
small orang-outangs, pair of civet cats and
numerous other animals. The result of this
visit was my appointment as agent of the
Australian Geological Gardens
One of my Australian commissions was 70
secure for the New Gardens at Perth. a pair
OF tigers-male and female and unrelated.
sent the word out among animal dealers and.
shortly after, received a cable from a Cal
cutta dealer named Rutledge asking me ta
come at once. took the next boat to Cal
cutta and found that there were two tigers
up-country near Hazaribagh, mica mining
district about 800 miles northwest of Cal
cutta, off the line Of the railroad
was warned that it was a dangerous
country n on oroonr
were thieves. It was suggested to me that T
hire native of the locality to protect me- He
would do all the stealing he could thew told
me, but he would prevent the others from,
stealing
The trip was made with retinue of serv-
ants, cooks, bearers and runners, each with
his own little task. 1t was my first experience
with the caste system, and I was amazed at
the number Of people had to take with me.
we stopped at a rest-house about three miles
from village, and ! sent the boy on ahead
to buy food for US and to get information
about the tigers. Then we engaged one of the
local natives to act guide and guard. Twas
exhausted by the trip and soon after supper T
went to sleep.
few hours after dark was awakened bv
the most unearthly yell have ever heard.
jumped up and called the bow had broucb+
from Calcutta. He was trembling with fright
and he said that he didn't know what the noisa
meant. Remembering all the tales 7 had
heard about the people of this district. I or
dered the boy to bar the doors and windows
and to lay out my guns. I was we'll armed
with automatics and revolvers and prepared
for battle. Presently there came another
yell, answered on all sides of US. With nv
guns loaded and ready, l sat there waiting.
Every few minutes the yell was repeated, and
it seemed to be getting closer and closer At
last, however, in spite of it, fell asleeu. ex-
hausted.
was awakened in the morning by the cook
bringing my breakfast and the jingling of the
ankle bells of mail runner, who was passing
the house on his ffteen-mile run. After had
finished eating, the cook returned with the
native who had been hired to guard u.s. The
native salaamed and spoke to the boy, who
acted as interpreter.
What is he sayng?" asked the boy.
"He says that he is the head watchman and
he wants to know if you slept we'll with him
watching over you" The yells that had kept
me up most of the night were the "All's weI@
of the watchman.
The headman OF the village arrived with
several natives and I went with them to inspect
the tigers-two beautifully marked animals.
I closed the bargain Immediately
At Perth the directors of the New Gardens
were so pleased with the tigers that they sent
me good bonus for my trouble in securing
them. And my story about the thieves of
Hazaribagh was the joke Of the year.
Copyright, 1921, by Asia Magazins.)