cage. After a struggle in which they both got nipped, the crazy cat was in the cage and the door was shut.
1 don’t know why Dad wanted that horrible beast,’ said Roger.
‘He didn’t want it, but a zoo ordered it so he told us to get it.’
The boys went into the cabin. Not only the clock and the hat were gone, but three books on wildlife were in the hyena’s stomach.
‘Well.’ Hal said, ‘He has very good taste. Those were excellent books, and it’s nice that he appreciated them. I hope they give him a stomachache.’
Hal told Roger and Vic of the old local saying that hyenas are usually men or women who have come back from the dead in this form. They had been witches in their previous life and were considered very dangerous. ‘But it’s just one of those superstitions,’ he said. The fact is, the hyena is not all bad. It can really get quite affectionate.’
Vic thought he would find out just how affectionate this animal was. He put his fingers in through the wires of the cage. The hyena cocked its head to one side and studied those fingers. Then it leaped forward and clutched the fingers between its jaws. Vic let out a shriek that was as loud as any shriek of the hyena.
Clocks, hats and boots. Better than Vic’s fingers. It let go, and Vic drew out a very bloody hand.
Roger came out of the house with a piece of meat. He tucked it in between the wires of the cage and the hyena promptly devoured it. Looking at Roger, it made a sound that seemed very much like a purr. That was the cat in it. Roger knew that he would get along very well with this new neighbour.
‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘It’s really kind of handsome with those stripes and all. And it smells rather sweet - not like the African hyenas. I think it will make a good pet.’ Roger found he could go into the cage and never fear those terrible jaws. He tickled the animal in the neck where dogs and cats like to be caressed, and Hi, as he called the hyena, responded with a noise that was halfway between a growl and a purr. If this hyena had once been a human being, he or she was certainly a friendly character.
One morning Roger found the hyena lying on its side, very sick. He called Hal. The animal was acting very strangely. It was biting its own stomach, chewing its legs until the blood came, and nipping its tail. A living animal eating itself as if it were a dead one!
They do that when they are about to die,’ Hal said. ‘But we won’t let this one die. I think he just has a bad case of stomachache.’
He ran to the cabin and came back with some alkaline tablets. Roger opened the door just wide enough so he could squeeze in and he fed the medicine to his suffering friend. Ten minutes later the hyena stopped eating itself and plainly showed a desire to live. It brushed up against Roger just as a cat or a dog would do, and Roger petted it. keeping away, however, from those powerful jaws that seemed ready to eat anything that came to hand, including clocks, hats, books and fingers.
Chapter 11
Friends or Enemies?
When Vic turned up one morning at the Hunt camp he was carrying his rifle.
Hal said, ‘I see you have your gun. I heard some shooting yesterday. Were you doing it?’
‘Oh no, no. I wouldn’t do that.’
‘Come on now,’ Hal said. ‘You were doing some killing.’
‘No. I was just taking pot shots at some monkeys. I only got a couple of them.’
‘What makes you think it’s all right to shoot monkeys? You spent a night in jail for shooting. You promised not to shoot any more. If you’re caught you won’t get off with one night in jail. You’ll go to prison for ten years.’
Ten years! I suppose you will go to the police and tell on me.’
‘Not this time. I’m your friend. The next time you shoot I’ll give you a little ride. To the police station.’
‘Is that all?’
‘Not quite,’ Hal said. ‘How about that two hundred dollars I lent you?’
‘You didn’t lend it to me. You gave it to me.
1 don’t know why Dad wanted that horrible beast,’ said Roger.
‘He didn’t want it, but a zoo ordered it so he told us to get it.’
The boys went into the cabin. Not only the clock and the hat were gone, but three books on wildlife were in the hyena’s stomach.
‘Well.’ Hal said, ‘He has very good taste. Those were excellent books, and it’s nice that he appreciated them. I hope they give him a stomachache.’
Hal told Roger and Vic of the old local saying that hyenas are usually men or women who have come back from the dead in this form. They had been witches in their previous life and were considered very dangerous. ‘But it’s just one of those superstitions,’ he said. The fact is, the hyena is not all bad. It can really get quite affectionate.’
Vic thought he would find out just how affectionate this animal was. He put his fingers in through the wires of the cage. The hyena cocked its head to one side and studied those fingers. Then it leaped forward and clutched the fingers between its jaws. Vic let out a shriek that was as loud as any shriek of the hyena.
Clocks, hats and boots. Better than Vic’s fingers. It let go, and Vic drew out a very bloody hand.
Roger came out of the house with a piece of meat. He tucked it in between the wires of the cage and the hyena promptly devoured it. Looking at Roger, it made a sound that seemed very much like a purr. That was the cat in it. Roger knew that he would get along very well with this new neighbour.
‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘It’s really kind of handsome with those stripes and all. And it smells rather sweet - not like the African hyenas. I think it will make a good pet.’ Roger found he could go into the cage and never fear those terrible jaws. He tickled the animal in the neck where dogs and cats like to be caressed, and Hi, as he called the hyena, responded with a noise that was halfway between a growl and a purr. If this hyena had once been a human being, he or she was certainly a friendly character.
One morning Roger found the hyena lying on its side, very sick. He called Hal. The animal was acting very strangely. It was biting its own stomach, chewing its legs until the blood came, and nipping its tail. A living animal eating itself as if it were a dead one!
They do that when they are about to die,’ Hal said. ‘But we won’t let this one die. I think he just has a bad case of stomachache.’
He ran to the cabin and came back with some alkaline tablets. Roger opened the door just wide enough so he could squeeze in and he fed the medicine to his suffering friend. Ten minutes later the hyena stopped eating itself and plainly showed a desire to live. It brushed up against Roger just as a cat or a dog would do, and Roger petted it. keeping away, however, from those powerful jaws that seemed ready to eat anything that came to hand, including clocks, hats, books and fingers.
Chapter 11
Friends or Enemies?
When Vic turned up one morning at the Hunt camp he was carrying his rifle.
Hal said, ‘I see you have your gun. I heard some shooting yesterday. Were you doing it?’
‘Oh no, no. I wouldn’t do that.’
‘Come on now,’ Hal said. ‘You were doing some killing.’
‘No. I was just taking pot shots at some monkeys. I only got a couple of them.’
‘What makes you think it’s all right to shoot monkeys? You spent a night in jail for shooting. You promised not to shoot any more. If you’re caught you won’t get off with one night in jail. You’ll go to prison for ten years.’
Ten years! I suppose you will go to the police and tell on me.’
‘Not this time. I’m your friend. The next time you shoot I’ll give you a little ride. To the police station.’
‘Is that all?’
‘Not quite,’ Hal said. ‘How about that two hundred dollars I lent you?’
‘You didn’t lend it to me. You gave it to me.
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