164 BEASTS AND MEN 
under any given circumstances, for they are swayed almost 
completely by the impulses of the moment, and it frequently 
happens that an occurrence, to us apparently trifling, will 
cause a perfectly quiet and well-behaved animal to become 
almost mad with terror. It is for this reason that presence of 
mind is an essential quality for the animal trainer to possess ; 
for he must be ready at all times to grapple with any danger- 
ous whim which, without the slightest apparent cause, may be 
hatched out in the half-developed intellect of his formidable 
charge. Nor is it ever easy to convey to the creature’s intel- 
ligence what is required of him, or to make him understand 
that what to him appears terrifying, is in reality perfectly 
harmless. 
Suppose, for instance, that one wishes to induce a rhinoceros 
to walk across a gangway from a ship to the quay, it is not 
enough to say, “ Please, dear Mr. Rhinoceros, will you be so 
kind as to walk across these planks,” for the great herbivore 
will fail to understand such language, and the most exaggerated 
politeness will leave him totally unmoved. Even if one places 
a cord round his neck, and tries to haul him across the bridge, 
a friend meanwhile prodding him from behind with a stick, 
the great beast will in all probability refuse to do what is re- 
quired (for the language of physical force is a dead language 
to him, be it shouted never so loudly), preferring as an alter- 
native to charge his puny tormentors, and trample them under 
his feet. But there is one weak spot in the pachyderm’s com- 
position, of which his crafty keeper is not slow to make use. 
He obeys, if not his master, the cravings of his own stomach. 
The indulgence of appetite establishes a cosmopolitan lan- 
guage, if I may be allowed to call it so, which every animal 
comprehends. Hold a handful of food to his nose and he will 
follow wherever you lead him. So it is, at least, with the 
rhinoceros. Only do this, and all other forms of polite persua- 
sion become superfluous and unnecessary. 
These observations recall to my mind a somewhat danger- 
ous adventure which I had in the year 1871, at which time 
