CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY 109 
other animals, was installed in the railway van. A man 
named Druard, who was inspector of the Zoological Gardens, 
and had previously held the position of head-keeper in 
Christian Berg’s menagerie, was in charge of the animals 
during the journey. Everything having been satisfactorily 
arranged, Druard closed the door of the van, and made him- 
self thoroughly comfortable. 
The train rumbled on through the night and the un- 
suspecting keeper dosed peacefully, perchance enjoying some 
sweet dream. Suddenly, in the midst of his slumbers, he felt 
a great weight upon his chest, and awoke with a start. In 
the darkness, not a yard from him, there shone two greenish 
lights, and he felt hot fetid breath on his face. Overcome 
with terror he peered into the gloom and could just discern 
the shaggy outline of a lion’s mane. For a second he lay 
quite still, hoping that it was only a nightmare—vain hope, 
however ; the lion had escaped from his cage, and was amus- 
ing himself by paying a visit to the solitary sleeper. Druard 
was accustomed to dealing with animals, and he knew that 
this lion was a good-tempered one. So he decided at once 
that the best thing to do was somehow or other to tie the 
animal up. For the rest, he must share the place with the 
lion until the next station, and make the best of his awkward 
situation. Luckily no trouble broke out between the lion and 
the other animals. Had it done so, the man would never have 
lived to tell the tale. Druard quietly untied a sash which he 
wore round his body, and placed it like a cord round the lion’s 
neck. Then, groping his way through the dark and jolting 
van, he succeeded in fastening the other end of the sash to 
the handle of the door. At the next station he sounded the 
alarm, lights were brought, and the lion was led back to his 
cage—a stronger box being provided for him before the 
journey was continued. Thus ended a bloodless adventure, 
which nearly cost a careless man his life. 
The occasions on which human beings are attacked by 
captive carnivores are fortunately rare. But quarrels be- 
