New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
WILD ONES CAUGHT TO ORDER

That was all | wanted got out before
he could ask me how was going to work, for
| couldn't have told him.
'fhe elephants We're to go in the bow, and
they had to be taken there through seven
foot passage from amdships. The smallest
of the elephants measured fully seven feet
and the largest more than eight decided
that we might as we'll try the largest first, and
| asked that the electric bulbs be removed
from the ceiling
After some coaxsng and prodding we got
the first elephant up the gangplank. The
others followed obedently. Then asked the
chief officer to clear the cabins along the pas
sage, for was afraid that some one might
open door and frighten the elephant A
frightened, stampeded eight-foot elephant in
seven-foot passage would give Singapore
enough excitement to last for year The
chief officer sent the people from the cabins
and locked the doors.
The elephant balked at sight of the pas
sage. at his head, talking to him and
coaxing him, and two attendants were be-
hind. prodding. We made him knee and then
urged him forward. At last we got him into
the passage. 1t was tight it His sides
scraped the walls | gasped at the thought of
what would happen if he suddenly became
afraid. He would try to stand up, Of course,
and then, wedged in, he would begin to kick
and limo n,,+.. jho r+bo
who were close behind him, would do tho
same. And then, goodby, steamship I said
to myself. Slowly we made our way for
ward, with the five elephants hobhling alongr
on their knees. ] stayed close to the head OF
the first talking to him and ettng him.
Finally came to the end of the passage
and l drew the first deep breath in fifteen
minutes. I took the venture simply as mat
ter Of course, and didn't say anything that
gave the captain idea Of what my emotions
had been in that passage, but Ali looked at me
and looked at Ali, and there was no need
of words
washed and went to the captains cabin
for breakfast, while the men secured the elc-
plants in their quarters.
The captain said: "Mayer, that was the
quickest and slickest thing I've ever seen,
but what going to do with those animals
at Madras?"
knew that there were no docks at Madras
and that all freight unloaded into light
ers. but answered. "My men will attend to
them" RI sf-ss
When the ship reached Madras the attend
ants opened the doors and simply backed the
elephants overheard. They hit the water
with graat splash and roar and came up
blowing like whales. They were swimming,
of course, for elephants swim better than any
other land animals I have ever seen. The at
tendants approached them in rowboats, and,
jumping On their backs, rode them to shore.
BY the time they reached land they had com
pletely recovered from the excitement of fall
ing overheard.
The captain returned to Singapore, enthu-
siastic over this new way of handling ele-
plants, and | had the pleasure Of shipping
my last consignment to Madras on his ship.
for what the captain of ship will or will not
do, and after that experience l always saw
tire captain first and the agent second.
After one exciting incident in the work of
shipping animals for the King of Siam /
allowed full authority We were sending a
pair of beautifully matched leopards to Aus
tria, and they had reached Singapore in two
large, poorly constructed cages. thought
that the cages looked weak and / wished to
have my Chinese carpenter build two that
would be smaller and stronger, but as the boss
said no, we loaded the cages on bullock carts
and headed for the docks. In unloading one
of the bullock carts the natives allowed the
case to slide to the ground too heavily; the
cage broke, and out went Mr.. Leopard like a
fash of lightning, heading straight for the
Chinese quarter. The Chinese saw him COM
ing, and a panic started. They tumbled over
one another in getting out of the way, and two
of them were scratched. The leopard was
quite as frightened as any of the Chinese. The
natives in charge of the bullock cart came
running for me, and / went to the Chinese
quarter to find the leopard. He had taken ref
uge in a house, and finally discovered him