Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-06-21
In Obedience to
Jungle Law
~~~>~~~~~~~ ~~~
By NORRIS SCHULTZ

| 60. 1924. Western Newspaper Union.)
Casey had been promoted" from the
small rodents to the primates, but he
was not sure he liked 1t. 1t was much
harder work, to begin with, and ther
there were those afternoons when
Baby. Bill and Mr.. links had tea on q
platform in the ZOO gardens.
He, Casey, had TO sit on the platform
with the three chimpanzees and pour
out tea for them, and make them
watch their table manners while the
crowd grinned underneath and said,
"Ain't they humanw
Occasionally, too, wags pretended
that Casey was one of the quartette
of primates and addressed him as
"JOcko."
The chief trouble, however, was that
Mr.. Jinks and Casey didn't get on to-
gether Mr. links always showed his
white teeth when Casey appeared. He
had been attached to his old keeper and
couldn't understand what Casey want
ed with him.
On this particular day Casey was
tired. All hands had been called out
because it was discovered that a par
ticularly poisonous cobra had in some
way escaped from its cage and was at
large in the zoo grounds. They had
searched all the morning, but had not
discovered it.
Casey was worn out when he got
Baby, Bill and Mr.. links on their plat
form. That day Mr.. links took 1t into
his head to behave badly. He snatched
up the teapot, drank out of the spout,
scalded his mouth and began whimper-
ing Then he tried to bite Casey's
hand and Casey forgot himself and
boxed Mr.. Jinks' ears. Mr.. Jinks
started bowling.
The crowd lost its temper. SAY,
you big baboon, you let the little fell
Ter alonel" a man yelled.
"What a shameful thingT" said an
old lady. "Those keepers are awful
cruel to the dear animals, I've heard.
He ought to be reported"
Casey was certainly having a bad
time. Mr.. links sulked and blubbered
and Baby and Bill, following his bad
example, began snatching up the cake
and examining it into their mouths.
The more Casey tried to control them,
the more hostile grew the spectators
"Say, 20 oughter be put in a cage
yerself!" shouted a fat man.
"Clip him one on the ear, Mr.. Jinksl"
shouted a thin man.
At last, to Casey's relief, the tea
was finished. Baby and BILL at Casey's
signal, bounded from the platform and
made their way home to their cages.
This was a feature of the afternoon.
Sometimes Casey would pretend to for
get one of them and the crowd would
see frantic chimpanzee rushing wild
ly after its keeper. This always tickled
1t.
Today Mr.. links remained in q re-
fractory mood. He snarled when
Casey tried to make peace with him,
wouldn't take an orange, and then,
with a sudden bound, he had leaped
from the platform to the branches of
an overhanging tree, where he chung,
while the crowd went frantic with de-
light.
"Get up and get your baby!" shout
ed square man.
"Give papa a climb |" cried a very
thin, emaciated one.
But suddenly, quick as a flash, Mr..
links had leaped from the tree. He
was running through a patch of heavy
grass and Casey was following him.
Casey had a fine chase. 1t ended at
the very outskirts of the gardens, with
Mr.. links sitting on fence and Casey
standing in the grass a few feet away
holding out banana, while Mr.. links
showed his teeth.
Suddenly, with a hoarse scream, Mr..
links flew at Casey. So sudden was
the onset that Casey stumbled and fell
back into the grass. He heard Mr..
screaming hoarsely. He put up
his hands TO save himself. He pictured
the chimpanzee's teeth in his throat.
But only a plaintive whine followed.
Casey sat up. Mr.. links was sitting
In the grass a few feet away from him,
looking at him with tired expression. |
Casey advanced belligerently; adj
and stopped in amazement.
Beside Mr.. links, coiled up, lay the
cobra, dead. Mr.. links teeth had Bit
EN- its head nearly off.
And Mr.. Jinks' arm was swollen to
he size of Casey's leg. The chimpan-
,ee's eyes were glazing fast.
With a sob Casey kneeled down and
tut his arm round Mr.. links neck. Mr..
links chartered, his head fell upon
Casey's breast. Mr.. Jinks was dead.
He had died in obedience to jungle
aw. For men and monkeys stand to-
,ether against humanity's first enemy.
Jasey understood that. Their quarrel
lad been forgotten in the presence of