SPORTING TERMS AND BIG CATS 355 



and no matter from what direction I approached 

 its prison, the box would be vibrating before I 

 could reach my portfolio and the thumping and 

 yowling from the inside would begin over again. 

 Growing desperate I made a bold rush, grabbed 

 my property and retreated. Then as my time was 

 short, I went over to where the baby hippopotami 

 were enclosed in a rude pen. I finished my sketches 

 and going through the store to the street, stopped 

 at the desk to thank the proprietor for his courtesy 

 in granting me the privileges of his shop. 



"By the way," said I. "What have you got in 

 that packing case back there?" 



"Dot backing case? Vot backing case you 

 mean?" 



"The one with the rope on." 



"Dot backing case ! Py golly you must not 

 cro near dot case. It may get loose once." 



"What may get loose?" 



"DOT LIVER PAD." 



"Liver pad?" I exclaimed. 



"Yes, dot liver pad vot vas in dot box tied mit 

 dat rope. Dot vas a vild liver pad. He vas very 

 dangerous, yes." 



None the wiser for all my friend's remarks I 

 bowed and hurried back to my studio. I knew 

 that the thing was dangerous, and the box insecure, 

 but in all my travels and in all my visits to 

 museums, circuses and wild animal stores, I have 

 never seen a 



