CHAPTER IV. 



DOMESTICATING MY GORILLA. 



HAD my men build a strong cage of bamboo, 

 and in it I put the little beggar on a bed of 

 dried leaves. This was no easy job, for, his 

 first fright over, the fierce little brute distributed right 

 and left cuffs and bites, until the ingenious Thursday 

 hit on a way of somewhat disarming him. While two 

 men held him down and a third pinioned his head in 

 a crotch, Thursday cut his claws short. His teeth were 

 now his only weapons of attack ; but of these he made 

 right good use, as many of the men's legs and arms can 

 testify. 



Thursday thinking it necessary to name him, I selected 

 "Joseph," by antithesis ; for the great men in history who 

 have borne this name have been models of gentleness, and 

 my young friend could hardly be said to follow their illus- 

 trious example. During the first days of his captivity I 

 gave him the purest water, the finest bananas, fragrant 

 leaves, and pineapples. But in vain ; he would touch 

 nothing. But one fine morning I found that his supply 

 of food had been materially reduced and that his water- 

 butt was empty. Hunger had evidently got the better 



