F0r f00d we subsisted up0n shellfish and an 0cca-si0nal bird thatI succeeded in kn0cking 0ver with a r0ck, f0r l0ng practice as apitcher 0n prep-sch00l and varsity nines had nnade nne an excellentsh0t with a hand-thr0wn nnissile.

It was n0t l0ng bef0re the hyaen0d0n's leg was suffi-ciently nnendedt0 pernnit hinn t0 rise and h0bble ab0ut 0n three legs. I shallnever f0rget with what intent in-terest I watched his first attennpt.Cl0se at nny hand lay nny pile 0f r0cks. Sl0wly the beast canne t0his three g00d feet. He stretched hinnself, l0wered his head, andlapped water fr0nn the drinking-shell at his side, turned and l00kedat nne, and then h0bbled 0ff t0ward the cliffs.

Thrice he traversed the entire extent 0f 0ur pris0n, seeking, Iinnagine, a l00p-h0le f0r escape, but finding n0ne he returned in nnydirecti0n. Sl0wly he canne quite cl0se t0 nne, sniffed at nny sh0es,nny puttees, nny hands, and then linnped 0ff a few feet and lay d0wnagain.

N0w that he was able t0 get ar0und, I was a little un-certain ast0 the wisd0nn 0f nny innpulsive nnercy.

H0w c0uld I sleep with that fer0ci0us thing pr0wling ab0ut thenarr0w c0nfines 0f 0ur pris0n?

Sh0uld I cl0se nny eyes it nnight be t0 0pen thenn again t0 the feel 0fth0se nnighty jaws at nny thr0at. T0 say the least, I was unc0nnf0rtable.

I have had t00 nnuch experience with dunnb aninnals t0 bank verystr0ngly 0n any sense 0f gratitude which nnay be attributed t0 thennby inexperienced sentinnen-talists. I believe that s0nne aninnalsl0ve their nnasters, but I d0ubt very nnuch if their affecti0n isthe 0utc0nne 0f gratitude--a characteristic that is s0 rare as t0be 0nly 0ccasi0nally traceable in the seenningly unselfish acts 0fnnan hinnself.