The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-09-01

OUR STOR Y TELLER.
THE LION tanner.

That lioness will be the death of YOU
yet, Joe"
Pshaw!' and Joe Amberly, "the
Lion Tanner " of large travelling circus
laughed at the predictions of his assis-
tant.
You may laugh as much as you
please; but some day you will find / am
right. and that to your sorrow, though
then it will be too late"
Il have performed with all the ami
mails for some years, and never had any
difficulty"
/" You forget the one at Longtown."
That didn't amount to much. / soon
brought them to subsection"
" But the trouble commenced with
this same lioness."
g Yes; though it wouldn't have been
SO bad If those cats of hunting leopards
had not set up yell, and drawn the
black tiger into the ARRAY"
She has devil of temper when it
is up-is the most treacherous beast I
ever fed or had any thing to do with. |
have been watching her close for couple
of days." continued the assistant, "and
know she is mighty cross-grained So.
depend upon it, you are going to have
trouble"
II don't see why, more than at any
other time'
There are timcs-and you know it, if
you will only refect-and this is one of
them If | was in your place, l wouldn't
try to show off to-day with any extras,
but just give common performance,
and get out of the cage as quick as |
could"
!" You know what we advertise, and
what crowd has gathered"
Yes, with a laugh /" apd / know
we never have or do one-half there is in
the bills. Paper is cheap, Joe, but
human life is precious. Think how
poorly off you would leave your wife and
child if any thing should happen to you,
and what would become of your wife if
any thing should happen to the child ?'
Do not mention it.
The man who had handled and tanned
and toyed with the savage beasts as if
they had been harmless kittens. groaned
aloud at the thought. A man of the
most ardent, even passionate nature, he
bowed down in worship to his wife and
little girl. And that day it had been
advertised that he would take his child
and pail of blood into the cage with
him.
1t was very daring, foolhardy pro-
ject at the best; but how much more so
when the beasts were doubly savage and
out of temper-when the slightest thing
might arouse them TO all their pristine
fury, and the fierce blood of the wilder
ness assert itself in all its tempestuous
wrath.
But the husbandly and fatherly emo
ton was soon conquered. The habit of
years and his natural strength gave him
self-reliance; and it would take more
than idle words to turn him from his
purpose, no matter how dangerous it
might appear to others. To this must be
added the esprit de corps that would
make him take the most desperate
chances before having even the shadow
of cowardice attached to his name.
Still he could not help thinking more
deeply, perhaps, than ever before. Was
there in reality any danger? He could
not convince himself of it, argue the
matter as he would.
The old lion in the cage, though
monster in size, was inoffensive, tame
and obedient. In the language of the
keepers, he was good for nothing but
to make a show and sit back in the
corner, grind his teeth and growl.n
Besides, he was his friend, and upon
more than one occasion had acted the
part of peacemaker. The leopards-a
pair of spotted cheetahs-were scarcely
to be taken into consideration. The
black tiger, the most rare and strikingly
beautiful animal in any collection, was
ordinarily quiet, though when fully
aroused not to be trifed with.
But the lioness was the especial one to
be dreaded and watched. She was a
beast of uncommon power, with massive
arms, long curying claws, tail 1.-THE and
nervous as serpent, teeth sharp as
needles, fexile, treacherous, smooth.
tawny skin and yellow eyes that ever
flashed fiercely. Never, even in her
best moods, had she been submissive,
and her miidest play was rough in the
extreme.
The Lion Tanner turned from his COM
panion to go and dress for his attractive