ich I recognized, the curse of India--the hooded cobra. Then there
was a big python, picked up at Rio, and a boa-constrictor, taken aboard
at one of the Pacific islands.

"There was a huge Nubian lion; a big, striped Bengal tiger; a
hippopotamus, and a rhinoceros, to complete the list. I tell you, it
made me creepy to go down among them, as we had to on occasions, to
wash down.

"The elephant was moored to a stanchion by a short length of chain
shackled around his hind leg, but it gave him a radius of action equal
to his length and that of his hind leg and trunk. This precluded our
using the fore-hatch to reach the hold, so we used the main-hatch; and,
as there was daily use of it, this hatch was fitted with steps, and
always kept open, even in bad weather.

"The immediate cause of the trouble was the carrying away of the
foretop-gallant-yard, due to rotten halyards, and braces and lifts,
when we were scudding before a gale off Hatteras. The yard came down on
the whirl, but when it hit the deck it hit like a pile-driver--a
straight, perpendicular blow--directly over the partners that held the
upper end of the stanchion to which that crazy elephant was moored.

"It weakened it. We heard the big brute's protest, and then we heard
the crash as he carried away the stanchion.

"Then we heard other noises as he raced aft among the cages--the mad
squealing of the elephant, the growling and roaring of the lion and the
tiger, the barking of the wolves and hyenas, the gruntings of the wild
hogs, the heehaws of the wild asses and zebras, and the terrible,
mumbling snorts of the hippopotamus and rhinoceros, as their cages were
upset and destroyed.

"That mad elephant smashed them all, as we learned when the whole
bunch, according to their acceptance of the situation, appeared on
deck, growling or whining, looking for something to do or to kill. All
hands were up, and we all took to the rigging, even the skipper and
mates and the man at the wheel.

"The ship broached to, and away went the upper spars and yards. The
canvas slatted and thrashed and, one by one, the sails went to ribbons
and rags; but we could not help it. Down on deck were a big yellow lion
and striped tiger wandering round, swishing their tails to starboard
and port, looking for trouble.

"Also a python and a boa-constrictor, a half-dozen wolves from the
Russian plateaus, the zebras and wild asses, the hyenas, with their
ugly faces; the porcupines, and some