The Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 132, March, 1909 — John Shaqi
The Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 132, March, 1909Various
History
The Wide World Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 132, March, 1909
Various
Adventure stories -- Periodicals; English periodicals; History, Modern -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Voyages and travels -- Periodicals
Animals sometimes start fighting among themselves, and to separate
them is exceedingly dangerous. Perhaps the queerest encounter ever
witnessed at this remarkable animal exchange was that which took
place between a hippopotamus and a kangaroo. "The latter," said Mr.
Hagenbeck, "was the largest kangaroo I ever had in my possession;
it was over six feet high, and a very powerful animal. It occupied a
stable close to that of the hippo, and one night the kangaroo jumped
over its fence into the hippo's pen. The kangaroo landed in the
hippo's tank, which was empty.
"It was two o'clock in the morning when the incident occurred, and
when I arrived on the scene I could not help smiling, the whole affair
being so comical. There stood the monster hippo with his enormous
mouth open, snapping at the kangaroo down in the tank below. The
moment the hippo moved down towards the tank the kangaroo sprang into
the air and smacked his opponent in the face with his great forefeet.
When the hippo got too venturesome, by endeavouring to walk into the
tank despite the blows, the kangaroo took a mighty leap upwards and
struck his enemy with his hind feet, inflicting terrible scratches
with his claws.
"Try as he would the hippo could not get into that tank to attack
the kangaroo. To separate the combatants was a puzzle. We did it
ultimately by fixing up an arrangement by which we dropped a large
seal net over the kangaroo, and then, drawing in the cords, secured
him. To divert the hippo's attention, the moment the net was lowered
over the kangaroo one of my men pretended to enter the cage. The ruse
succeeded, and the kangaroo was safely released and taken back to his
proper quarters.
"I could tell you many more adventures," said Mr. Hagenbeck, as we
shook hands on parting, "but the fact is I have just written a book in
which I have given a complete story of my life, and I have embodied
in it the little adventures I have had while hunting, collecting, and
handling my strange merchandise." That book certainly ought to make
good reading.
[Illustration]
HOW WE CAPTURED THE REBEL CHIEF.
BY E. F. MARTIN, LATE OF THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY'S SERVICE.
A powerful native chief was stirring up trouble against the
white man, and the order went forth that he was to be arrested
and brought in for trial. The author was in charge of the
expedition, and here relates the thrilling happenings that
befell his little band ere the "wanted" rebel was safely caged
at head-quarters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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