16 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 



outta in pawn, that is to say, he paid as much as 

 he had and the steamship company took a lien on 

 his show or chattels, and if the agent at the port 

 of disembarkment was satisfied, he could put up his 

 tent and show, the steamship agent taking the re- 

 ceipts with interest until the freight and passage 

 money was collected. I happened to be in Singa- 

 pore at the time and was told a circus had just 

 arrived from Calcutta "Bert Wilison's African 

 Circus and Equine Paradox." I was wondering 

 who's it could be, as I had never heard of my old 

 friend's rise to proprietor of a show. 



I made up my mind to see him, if not for busi- 

 ness then as an old showman, never dreaming I 

 was to meet an old friend. The surprise and pleas- 

 ure was mutual at our meeting, after an absence 

 of nearly fourteen years. The last time we were 

 together was in Buenos Ayres. As I was dressed 

 in an old suit of khaki, I looked to him as if I 

 were stranded. "Well, Charley," he said, "I'm 

 broke, too, but I'll manage to fix you somehow and 

 get you out of here. You come with me, old boy, 

 we'll share what's left of the old show." 



I thanked him and said that I was not as badly 

 off as I appeared, but had been in the animal busi- 

 ness for a number of years, was settled and pretty 

 well known in Singapore, and if I could be of 

 assistance to him, it was his for the asking. 



"Well, Mayer, to tell the truth, I'm in hock with 

 the steamship people. I have not enough to pay 



