274 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



In some manner it has become a prevalent belief that in 

 their native jungles all three of the great apes — gorilla, orang, 

 and chimpanzee — are dangerous to human beings, and often 

 attack them with clubs. Nothing could be farther from the 

 truth. According to the natives of West Africa, a gorilla or 

 chimpanzee fights a hunter by biting his face and fingers, just 

 as an orang-utan does. I believe that no sane orang ever 

 voluntarily left the safety of a tree top to fight at a serious 

 disadvantage on the ground; and I am sure an orang never 

 struck a blow with a club, unless carefully taught to do so. 



Wild Animals Are Not Quarrelsome. As a species, 

 man appears to be the most quarrelsome animal on the earth; 

 and the same quality is strongly reflected in his most impres- 

 sionable servant and companion, the domestic dog. Nearly 

 all species of wild animals have learned the two foundation 

 facts of the philosophy of life — that peace is better than war, 

 and that if one must fight, it is better to fight outside one's 

 own species. To this rule, however, wolves are a notable 

 exception; for wherever wolves are abundant a wounded wolf 

 is a subject for attack, and usually it is killed and eaten by 

 the other members of the pack. 



I have observed the daily habits of many kinds of wild 

 animals in their wild haunts, but in the field I never yet have 

 seen either a fight between animals of the same species, or be- 

 tween two of different species. This may seem a very humi- 

 liating admission for a hunter to make, but it happens to be 

 true. In the matter of finding big snakes, having exciting 

 adventures, and witnessing combats between wild animals, 

 there are some men who never are in luck. 



Now there was the "Old Shekarry," — whose elephants, 

 tigers, bison, bears, and sambar always were so much larger 

 than mine. In his book, "Sport in Many Lands," he describes 

 an affair of honor between a tiger and a bull bison, which was 

 a truly ideal combat. The champions met by appointment, — 

 by the light of the moon, in order to be safe from interference 



