"On another occasion I was journeying through Suez with a giraffe
which for five months had been living in the German Consul's garden. I
was leading it to the station when it suddenly took fright and ran
away. For four long, weary miles I hung on to the wretched beast, but
at last I was obliged to drop the rope and let it go. A smart little
Nubian boy then took up the chase; he got hold of the rope and
eventually tied it round a tree, and after a while we led the animal
quietly back to the station.
"But one of the most alarming adventures that ever overtook me whilst
I was transporting animals was that which occurred once when twelve
elephants broke away from me and rushed through the streets of Vienna.
The whole twelve had been deposited in a _depot_, where they had to
rest for two days. I was taking six of the elephants to lead them to
the station, and when my back was turned and I was engaged with these
six elephants, the other six stealthily and quietly pulled up the iron
rings by which they were fastened to the ground, trumpeted loudly,
and, before I knew what had happened, the twelve animals were rushing
through the streets of Vienna. At last, after a long chase, I caught
the biggest elephant, and led it to the station, the others following
quietly enough. But my troubles were not over yet, for I hardly got
the first four into a railway van when the others began to howl. The
four elephants in the train plunged and kicked about, and at last they
broke their ropes and ran out of the van, followed by all the others,
and into the open streets. Then began another hunt up the big
fashionable streets, down little courts and alleys, once after one
which ran into a big shop, all over a big park, and this went on for
three hours, until, at last, greatly to my relief, I got them safely
into the station and packed into the vans for their journey."