Year: 1869

DedSb. ne dWlui, hO Ar1 ~oAu oOiuO uay
he'll just go for you, II you amt keerful
Why, this AFTERNOON, he jest tore gentle
mans skelp clean off his head, and he was
bore out in a faintin condition. Jest
see the hair of him all scattered over the
cage" ee >+


humbly thanked him for the caution,
and drew off, asking for information as to
the creatures habits. He was very COM
municative, and enlightened me with much
valuable knowledge relative to his diet,
averring that he was invariably fed before
the menagerie was opened, the raw meat
and live rabbits which he devoured exas-
perating him by their blood to that degree,
that it was not safe for any person but
keeper to come into his sight. The gorilla
enjoyed this confidential communication,
and roared his approval thus: HE is the
head liar of this menagerie."


Jack and kept up casual correspond
ence from day to day by means of our
telegraph signals, for had little time to
see him when off duty. Occasionally /
strolled in of an evening to commiserate
his fearful en7lui and cheer him with
friendly sign, or when opportunity offered
to chat furtively with the man gorilla,
who swore dreadfully at the bad bargain
WHICH ne mdu0. Ills CoAuACblCub " 40
growing excessively irksome, and though
bis constant exercise kept him in good
bodily health, poor Jack lost his spirits
and grew positively wrstched in mind.
One night, when I managed to find time
to visit him at his "den P" in Morusmulti-
caulis street, he grew plaintive over his
unhappy condition.


Hang it, Sam," said he, "you have no
idea how mad it makes me to think that l
have shut myself up in that cage for
year and with no chance of getting out
without telling Clara what | have been
doing And there she goes pottering
about the menagerie, like blessed little
angel as she is, without the least idea that
Jack, unhappy Jack, is glowering at her
frow his accursed gorilla prison, longing
to say the words that would bring confu.
sion and dismay upon all OF us. And
then when see some other fellow flirting
around with her, and old Coriander leer-
ing over her head at me, knowing full
well how aggravated | am, why, 1t just
makes me wild"


I comforted Jack as well as could, and
babe him hope that some stroke OF luck
would yet deliver him from his voluntary
thraldom and bring him to his love. He
was hopeful that old Coriander would find
the gorilla business Improbable and
would offer to buy him off, or consent to
shorter terms. He vowed one day that
unless relief soon came, he would address
the crowd about his cage and inform them
that he was an unmitigated humbug; that
he was no gorilla at all, but distressed
gentleman, John Gale by name, tempo
rarily held in duress by that old rascal,
Columbus Coriander. But he restrained
himself and waited. 1t was well that he
did.


One evening, finding an unemployed
half hour at my disposal, saun5ered into
the menagerie hall, and watched the poor
weary beasts slowly composing themselves
to their unquiet slumbers. 1t was nearly
time to close the show for the night, and
not many people were left to stroll about
among the cages. Old Coriander was
there with his fat wife, the lovely Clara
floating about in a cloudy white dress, and
followed by train of admiring swains
The poor gorilla was stretched at full
length on the floor of his cage, with his
face sullenly turned to the rear partition.
Passing by the poor fellow, with little
pang of regret, | stopped before cage of
apes, poor Jacks next door neighbors.
No wonder that he felt blue sometimes.


Suddenly there was rush OF hurrying
feet; a strange confusion pervaded the
whole place lately so quiet and still, and
above the pungent odor of the menagerie,
I detected that of burning wood. The
place was on fire and instantly everybody
ran for the exits The hall was filed with
binding smoke; the red tongues OF flame
thrust themselves eagerly through the
Al. N
exhibition hall from the lumber-rooms in
the rear. And the people who rushed sell
fishly down the narrow stairways, fled not
only from the flames, but from the poor
beasts who covered in their cages or
roared angrily as they caught the mad ex
citement around them. The scene was
terrible; the cracking, roaring fires
sweeping out into the long room; the
wild terror of the Gagged animals; the
shrieks and erie, of flocks of suddenly
liberated strange birds, and the surging
clouds of smoke which rolled through the
high arches overhead Passing near the
gorilla's cage heard Jacks voice. as he
Yelled witk stentorian lungs: "Will no.
body let me out? Oh, will nobody let
me outs" Quick as thought ran behind
his cage, and unfastened the narrow flap
that closed the opening. In another mo-
ment the African gorilla was out and
across the hall, to where a blonde young
lady in a white dress was being helplessly
borne along by old Coriander, also
encumbered by the stout mother of
Miss Clara, for Jack had seen that his
beloved was in mortal danger. Raising
the fainting girl in his strong arms, the
hairy monster rushed down the stairs,
astounding the coming firemen with the
sight of a ferocious gorilla carrying off a
respectable young lady, whose faxen
curls lay lovingly over the dreadful shoul-
ders of the beast, which, with ludricious
failure, endeavored to caress the paid face
of the young lady with his hairy jaws,
stiff with padding and whalebone, and
nicely lined with blood-red velvet.


The gorilla fled up the street, bearing
his dainty burden-for, once in sight, he
could not stop without exposure. Plod-
ding travellers on the Illuminated sidewalks
were startled by the swift apparition of
gorilla carrying off a young lady, who
was borne into dark alleys to be eaten in
the obscurity of some hidden den. Casual
Wayfarers through the dark streets shrek
ed and ran as they beheld a flaming dra-
gon, leaping with enormous strides, and
carrying the corpse of a nice young per-
son hanging over his shoulder. Good
Mrs. Harris, who keeps the lodging house
at No. 1888 Morusmulticaulis street, fell
in deadly swoon at her own doorway,
as she was returning from class meeting,
to see the evil one, equipped with the ira
ditional head, horns and tail-breathingf fire
and sulphurous smoke, and violently de-
porting beautiful young lady, who had
for Lowe of drooc and ofhor rr-orJdlxr 10 -;