Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-10
CHAPTER ".

public. lie did not inform the woman
he loved OF the destiny that had
been tracking him in the shape
of Peter Gwyn. The most fire.
quent advice, by far, that she sent was
to be very careful And he, for her
sake. was so.
But the end of trouble had not yet
come. One balmy night in June that
largest brute took a notion to once
more display his temper. In the bills
he was advertised as tie emperor
Nero" but John Foster called him
"Jim-jam which shows the difference
in the tastes of manager and lion
tanner, in the selection of names for
animals.
John Foster saw the indications of
the brute's rising anger sooner this time
than before, but he was not so close to
the door of the cage. He fixed his eve
on jim jams, and without the tremor
of a nerv", began slowly to retreat,
ever keeping his back to the door.
Slowly, slowly he moved. Still he held
the animal beneath his will. A moment
mOrei
But, inexplicably. his will lost its in
fuence on the beast. Again the sup
pressed roar; again the spring. At the
same instant there was a flash and a
sharp, quick report. The remaining
lions roared in wild rage. but Jim-jam
fell in the agonies of death. Again,
however, the iron door closed between
John Foster and danger He had been
prepared, and had saved himself
Yet afterward the fact was realized
by him that had the lion sprung with
as little warning as previously, he must
have been slain. Circumstances had
favored him, and he had made two mar
row escapes.
AS John Foster left the pavilion he
encountered Peter Gwyn.
"Hum, Signor Foscarelli," said that
person. his white teeth glowing between
his thin lips, Il intended to be here
sooner. but | was delayed. You have
had another
Thank Heaven that you WERE"
cried John Foster. ''Fiend, devil, you
need not hunt me to the death"
Probably John Foster would not have
said 80 much, had he not been excited
by his encounter.
CHAPTER
Tho lion-tamer knew that Mr.. Peter
Gwyn was in the audience He had
seen the man enter, as it CHANGED, and
1t ha& seemed to him then an ominous
token, But there would be no failure to
I'LL OFT the programme of the evening on
that account.
Mr. Peter Gwyn got seat as close
to thu cage of performing lions as pos
sible, and, while the clown tested, the
acrobat tunlbled, and the knights of
the sawdust galloped around, he
sat still, evidently uninterested.
At lust, however, the performance of
flourish of the orchestra. some lively
strains, and then all was silent as the
watch of death. John Foster was in the
lion 3 cage.
The proprietor of the "Grand Orient
al Equescurriculum" had considered
himself especially lucky that on the
very day succeeding that on which
Emperor Nero" persisted he had re-
ceived notice from his agent in New
York of the reception of lion of un-
usual strength and size. He ordered
the animal sent to him immedi-
ately John Foster had been train
ing him for few weeks, and now
he had been performing for one. He was
known to the gaping crowds as Caesar
the Conqueror;" to John Foster as
Jim jam"
To the lion tanner, as he entered that
cage OF dangerous beasts, all things
about him seemed unreal. The bright
blaze of the lamps might be the weird
light of an enchanted world, so unreal
did it appear; the lions, huge monsters;
Mr.. Peter Gwyn, Satan himself
his part of my story is soor told.
John Foster was in no mood 20 handle
lions. From the very first the tide was
against him. The latest addition be-
came unruly. John Fosters state of
apathy continued. Once more the
spring of the lion was made
This time John Foster fell through
the door held open for his leap, and
rolled underneath the cage 1t was not
closed quickly enough, and the huge
form of the beast of prey forced itself
through.
Meantime, Mr.. Peter Gwyn had
ment of the catastrophe he was near at
hand, looking in with eager eyes. With
roar. the raging beast sprang upon
him.
John Foster became free from his ap-
athletic condition. He leaped to his feet,
and seized whip from the hand of a
paralyzed attendant close at hand.
With fierce courage he attacked the
lion. He struck terrific blows on the
head of the beast. Caesar the Conquer
or crouched. More and more fiercely
John Foster struck.
Well, there are inexplicable things
all around us. In two minutes Cesar
was conquered and Gagged. 1 cannot
explain how, nor why the indomitable
will of John Foster tanned a monster
whose tongue was wet with blood.
And Peter Gwyn was dead. The most
singular part of my story, perhaps, is
to come. Mr. Peter Gwyn left will,
and in that will he bequeathed all his
wealth, he having no known relatives,
TO Signor Foscarelli. the great lion
tanner, provided he should survive him.
John Foster went no more into dead
~ peril.
i dare say he and the woman whom
ne loved are as happy as the majority
of such mortals.-P W. Norris, in
Bdttou'S Monthly.