Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-10-07
AlexauDria 6axttts
MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER :. 1875.
The Leepard's ire.

The last oct of the circus had come. SID tna
audience was prepared for the sensation Wslsh
was to be the climax. The horses add tbs
pvmnasts and the clowns had ioishcd, and the
Wild beasts we're to be dtfed. The creakY llttie
wagon that held them was drswa out Into the
ring, and womao entered tho case-a s'enuet,
1.-the, active, s.newy wcmao. with DiacK eyes
full of fire and cruel raWhlde "nlp IL LEI
hand. The whip was weighted at 1GG nanuIe
and quick shift would make It oeauly S'uus
' Il was Mime. Rhinehsrt, and the wild beasts
vere the ron Eoncss and leopard in the Equss-
curriculum. it was yesterday, in the afternoon
The womap-cool, careful, quick and keenly
wstchfuI os eyer-snapped the whip around
and with SHARP, aDery words OF comnan grove
the beasts from corner to corner 10 the usual
stvle of such performances. 1t was exciting
even to those used to the kind ct performance
thew were witnessing, and to the ladies' and
children it was thrilling. for the deep, angry
roar of tho beasts was no mock raging. 1Ae9
were too suen to be laughed at.
Suddenly Mime. Rbinebsrt stepped back
ward to leave the room for the lion to Jump 10
onesof the tricks she had taught him, and she
stepped against the leopard. With snar that
seemed half human in lis malice and Wholly
deyiIish 10 its utter ferocity the angry oesst
turned its head and raised its paw. Inc pa"
rested orc moment on the right thigh OF the
daring woman. and the Claws SHOT stralgnt
through the thin garments toto the qulveriog
flesh. The jaws DOW open an instant ana tnen
closed on what seemed the woman's BODY. :.
Probably not one person in five IN the audi
eucc realized that what they saw was anything
different from the usual performance, Tor every
thing Nine Rhinebart had done had been
done 10 flash, ard there was 20 time to rea
lie this before she had mastered the situaticn.
Turning as quickly as the huge leopard had turn
cd she shot her slender white lett hand stralghs
from the shoulder to the leopard's throat With
a motion as quick as HeenanS, and with her
right she whrled the whip around and brous ht
The loaded handle down tauarely between the
two great green eyes that were cleaning hste
into her own. Then shifting the whip again so
quickly that C,W saw the motion she ralned a
dozen quick fierce blows on the tendereSt spots
the leopard wears. There was net hme for Inc
shudder the sudience hegsn to feel TO nave psss-
ed away before the trick was over, tho lion Was
ready for his next word Of command. and tha
leopard had skunk back two steps to the 1sr cor
ner Of the little cage, coWed and beaten py =
woman lie could have rent limb from lmo nao
he known his power.
Only three great drops of blood remained to
tell the story If Whist might have happened, and
they did not show on the gsudy dress she wore.
The woman's stays, rigid and stronger than the
fashionable corset, had served TO protect he-
side from tho fangs of the beast aud her arms
IN" legs were only scratched
At least she called them scratches, whom teW
moments later she laughingly stretched out
main,d srm and Srssped the reporters hand so
firmly as almost to make him vince. She was
putting plaster over tho scratches" dlsdslnlng
any better treatment. ''IIll heal right up" she
ssid.-N 7. Herald.