Judge, 1907-06-29 · page 5 of 19
Judge — June 29, 1907 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Illustration ("The Centre of Gravity"):** Shows a man and woman in formal dress at what appears to be a doorway or curtain, with a shadowy figure visible beyond. The caption suggests domestic drama or infidelity, though specifics are unclear without additional context. **Main Content:** Four animal anecdotes titled "Extracts from an Intense 'Nature-Fakir's' Forthcoming Book": - *The Ape*: About an ape reading Darwin - *The Jaguar*: A jaguar's encounter in jungle foliage - *The Swordfish and the Leopard*: Swimming combat between creatures - *The Boa-Constrictor* and *The Lion*: Animal adventures These appear to satirize contemporary "nature-faker" literature—tall tales about animals presented as fact. The humor likely mocks popular exotic adventure writing of the era that exaggerated animal behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY. EXTRACTS FROM AN INTENSE “ NATURE-FAKIR’'S” FORTHCOMING BOOK. (Trackers’ Testimon: THE AM Suddenly I came upon an Ape comfortably seated on the To my surprise he was reading one of (Six Indian affidavits go with this, top rung of a sausage-tree. Darwin's books on + Evolution.” Be sure you get them all.) THE JAGUAR. Trailing a jaggy Jaguar through the dense foliage, I saw him creep to the sandy beach of the river. There he picked up a sharp clam-shell and, retreating to a se- cluded spot, he begag to cut the wag out of his tail THE SWORDFISH AND THE LEOPARD. y. while rambling I stumbled over Although my through the j a sleeping Leoparc heavy shoes bunked roughly against the quadruped, it did not arouse him, I thought this a splendid opportunity to study this feline beast at close range; so concealing myself behind a nixsuch bush, I scrutinized the ani- mal before me from his jowls to his joints. Suddenly | saw a Swordfish leap out of the near-by river, and, wiggling to the the animal right in half. committed this dastardly deed, he wiggled back into the water again. The Leopard presently awoke and commenced to stretch himself, Then he found that his hind legs and tail went in one direction, while his head and fore legs chased a bird in the opposite direction. I did not think this case interesting enough to fol- low it and study it, so I walked away pard, he sawed Having 1y. Cowboys’ Corroborations, Copper-colored Confessions, and Aboriginal Affidavits furnished on application. laughing at the thought that one-half of that Leopard doesn’t know how the other half lives. . +... A large Boa-constrictor was chasing me. THE BOA-CONSTRICTOR. Onward and onward I ran as fast as my bow-legs could carry me. [was cognizant, however, that the reptile was gaining on me. felt its boneless body curl about my feet, tripping me hot breath, “Say, Katie, wouldn't yer like ter have some o’ them picters ter hang up if yer had a place ter hang "em?" At last I could feel its up and bringiig me to the ground with a painful thud. In an instant its tail was about my wrists, and I was pinioned as with a pair of hand- cuffs; then, with its head, the reptile went through every pocket in my garments, taking all my money and other valuables, Later I learned that the Boa gave my money to an outlaw, who was thus enabled. to the country. dled this man buy a ticket and fl The Boa had befri for a year. (Indian affidavits will be furnished with this yarn at two dol- lars per aff.) FHE LION. I lay quietly in ambush, though I must confess it was the first time Lever lay in ambush with such a hard mattress. Suddenly 1 saw a bushy-haired Lion walk over to a pool that reflected his grim visag Looking about and seeing no one watching him, he pulled a comb and brush from his back pocket, and, looking into the watery mirror, he smoothed out his unkempt hair, and, after parting it in the middle, he hur- ried over to a group of lionesses who were holding a social howlfest. Pov. rerzee, comicbooks.com