58 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



of his obstinacy, and I thought it an opportune moment 

 to begin to accustom him to my presence and voice. 



When he saw me he drew back into the furthest corner 

 of his cage growling and showing his teeth ; and when 

 I went round the outside of his prison, every time that I 

 came near him he would spring across to the other side, 

 and if I put my hand between the bars to stroke him he 

 darted with open mouth at it, and I had just time to 

 withdraw it quickly to avoid his terrible fangs. 



In spite of his youth his set of teeth was complete, and 

 he only lacked strength of jaw to be dangerous. One 

 morning, while trying to escape, — an attempt which he 

 made whenever the cage was opened, — he bit a piece out 

 of a man's shoulder, wounding him severely. 



He never ate except at night ; and finding I was ac- 

 complishing nothing, and not wishing to end my days at 

 Stromby, I decided to change my tactics and try starva- 

 tion. When I saw he was growing thin with hunger I 

 again approached him with bits of wild sugar-cane and 

 young pineapple plants, of which I had noticed he was 

 exceedingly fond. He watched me, growling as before, 

 but I noticed he glanced with a certain longing at the 

 fruit I offered him, and I felt confident of final success. 

 Sure enough, after several hours of repeating this offer 

 Joseph came softly to the end of the cage where I stood, 

 put his arm outside, and grabbed a piece of sugar-cane, 

 retiring immediately to the other side, where he ate it. 

 The next day he satisfied his hunger, taking everything 



