The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-11


been sorry l gave him a helping hand in
his need. But it often seems to me
though he never speaks of it-that he all
ways thinks he is serving out his time for
that old affair By taking Up the hardest
things he can find to do; for do believe
| he has on his mind some rude idea of
personal atonement for tie blood he shed.
and now you know all have to tell Do
not let it speak out of your eyes to him,
even though your tongue amt likely to
let it slip.
l had no occasion TO guard myself
thus, for, now that l knew his story. it
was plain to nee from his face that Quiet
| Bill had suffered !; and have always held
the doctrine that where sin is thorough
ly repented of, men should allow to die
out of remembrance that which the good
God forgives; and SO, after silent fash
ion: he and L became rather friendly. /
talked 10 him, and made him talk some
also about the creatures in his charge. |
praised him little once OR twice, and
saw the dark blood sweep up 10 his brow
| like girls blush and after while, when
| he had leisure. he would come and sit
near me, while | was sketching, and take
curious but wordless note of nv work,
and occasionally slgly suggest 70 me slight
! points that caused me to wonder at his
close and quick observation. Mr.. Kings
ley had always CHEEKY something to say
to him and as l look back now | am
glad to think that Bill seemed to take un-
usual comfort, as time went on, out of
his distant companionship with US two.
| The season had been extremely hot,
and August fairly biazed with the fierce,
| dry heat of long drought. 1t was one
of those scorching, electric kind of days
that make man feel lislless, and beast
restless and wicked to deal with, that we
| halted 10 the suburbs ofa growing city, and
| spread the canvas for all afternoon exhi-
bition. The big Bengal tigress had been
unusually uneasy all the morning when
| lying prone on the floor of her cage, she
lashed her powerful tail, and painted out
low, ominous growls as if the bloodthirs.y
spirit of her lost liberty was angrily astir;
and she would start up with a sudden
bound that shook her prison, and impa-
tiently pace its narrow limits, with yellow
eyes all ahame, and snarling lip drawn up
over the strong and hungry looking teeth;
and once or twice she rolled herself against
the thick wires, and caught them in her
great claws as she longed to tear the re-
sisting bars from their secured sockets -
Bill kept careful watch on her antics, and
l heard him say to himself, ''There'll be
trouble with that vixen" But the rest
of the collection were feverish and fretfuI,
too, and between furnishing them all with
fresh drinks, and throwing water on some
to cool them off, he had quite as much as
he could do before the hour fixed for the
performance, without devoting especial at
tention to any one animal.
There was a crowded audience from
far and near whole families, from the
father down to the babe in arms, were
ranged on the hard benches to enjoy the
acting elephants and the precocious ponies
There was even an extraordinary number
of children, for thriving Sunday school
had entered early, and noisily secured
nearly all the front seats, and delighted
anticipation shone on rows OF chubby and
eager countenances. Peanut boys drove
heavy trade, aud the venders of mugs of
mead had very profitable and active
time and all was going on merry as a
marriage bell, in the ring and out of it,
! when | suddenly became aware that some
thing serious was the matter, for | saw
I Bill slip quickly from behind the cage of
the still fidgeting tieress and come to
statuesque stand in full front of the amused
people, who scarcely observed him, amidst
round of uProarious applause; but he
was in his shirt sleeves, and deadly pale,
as well he might be, having just discov-
cred that the mighty beast beside him
had. by some unnoticed frantic effort, so
loosened the structure of her cage, that
her next wrathful movement would rem
, der it fe rfully unsafe. There was not a
minute to be lost in the creatures evident
ly excited condition, further aggravated by
the sounds of the band and tormenting
attacks of exasperating flies and Bill had
rushed out in order to look for Mr. Kings
ley among the audience, where he usually
sat, to tell him to dismiss the crowd as
rapidly and quietly as possible, as not
knowing what instant necessary power of
protection would be past but not seeing
him at the moment in his accustomed
place, Bill scarcely hcsitated at the re>
sponsibility of announcing the danger him.
self; but before his slow speech could be
framed into words that could warn and
not too severely alarm, it was too late.
The awful animal, crouching wearily
in a corner Of lis shattered inclosure, gave
one abrupt vault, and, swift as lightning,
amidst the startled shrieks of the terror>
stricken throng, dashed into the open space
before the encircling seats. For second
it stood still there, as though dazed by
its freedom, while the struggling mass of
scared humanity, with scarce regard for
life or limb for each other, fed in frenzied
haste and fright. Bot just as she had
gathered herself up for spring our Quiet
: Bill made simultaneous leap, and land