THE LEOPARD 



a] thud to the ground, and holding one of the 

 monkeys down with a paw, bit the other through the 

 back. Rising, it looked around and listened intently. 

 Satisfying itself that no foe was near, it squatted 

 down cat fashion and leisurely ate one of its victims, 

 ever and anon raising its head and shoulders to 

 listen and glance around. Picking the other victim 

 up in its jaws it calmly walked off into the forest 

 with it. Such is an instance of tragedies which 

 occur every moment of time in the lower animal 

 world. 



Some people consider it distinctly cruel to de- 

 prive animals of their liberty, although they may 

 be confined in large, roomy, comfortable cages 

 and all their physical needs provided for. Such 

 folk know little or nothing of the hardships which 

 most animals in their native haunts are called upon 

 to undergo in the shape of scarcity of food, incle- 

 ment weather, and the necessity to be at all times 

 on their guard against the many enemies by which 

 they are surrounded. The feelings of the lower 

 animals cannot be gauged by those of us who have 

 the mental, moral and spiritual faculties In an ad- 

 vanced condition of development. If the physical 

 needs of the lower animals, and even the primitive 

 races of men, are provided for, they are then in a 

 condition of perfect happiness, like the yokel who 

 was lazily swinging on a farm gate and chewing a 

 bit of bacon. Asked what was the greatest happi- 

 ness he could think of, he said, " Swinging on a 



123 



