354 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



SIGNIFIED THEIR DESIRE TO TAKE PART IN THE 

 FIGHT. 



I was alone in this room with the assembled 

 jungle-folks and would have been dealt with se- 

 verely by my four-footed relatives had their bars 

 and chains allowed them to reach me. After fan- 

 ning myself with my hat, wiping the perspiration 

 from my face and neck, and smoothing the wrinkles 

 from my coat, I approached the packing box to 

 secure my portfolio, but as soon as I came near 

 the box the top and sides 



MOVED IN A MOST ASTONISHING MANNER 



the whole box bounced up and down, and from 

 the interior came the most 



BLOOD-CURDLING GROWLS, SNARLS, AND YOWLS. 



If this itself had not been enough to alarm me 

 the sight of the hooked claws of some beast tear- 

 ing splinters from the edge of the boards where the 

 sides were parted would most assuredly have been 

 sufficient cause for fright; but after my first alarm 

 I decided that I must have my portfolio, and at- 

 tempted to steal around to the other side of the 

 box, walking on my toes so as not to make any 

 noise and using every precaution to prevent at- 

 tracting attention to myself. It was in vain, how- 

 ever, it seemed as if 



THE THING INSIDE THE BOX 



was all eyes and could see through the boards, 



