Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-25

had waited for, the gorged beast was
asleep.
"rve neither wife nor childer," said
Rogers. turning his head away as FittOn
offered to try, IAN I'll do it,
A short silence, and then iuvolun-
tarily the two men looked at the girl.
AYE, Dick. if it mum be. it nun be, -
and then, woman-li6e, burst into tears
and kissed him.
Divesting himself Of his jacket and
shoes. Rogers silently climbed out. crept
swiftly over the felt-covered boiler to
the opposite end from where the lion
lay, and hastily descended the small
iron ladder affixed 10 the side of the
boiler brickworl.. In a second he was
behind the boiler-house and out of
sight; a few more seconds he had
crossed the wet yard, passed through
the archway leading to the entrance,
| and quickly clambered over the iron
| gates. Many people would have gone
| for policeman if they could have found
one, but with the best foresight he ran
down Hill street, through Lord street,
and reached the menagerie. where he
at once broke the windows in of the
sleeping wagon and aroused the in
mates. Giving precise direction, he
| left them and went straight back to
Mrs. Fittons house in Hangiug-road-
lane. where he assured the frightened
woman that her husband was safe.
With the early habits OF factory work
ers ne had fOreseeu that Mrs. FittOn
would be soon up and might attempt
to enter the mill; he next sent FittOn's
| little boy to the fire station, where he
knew the men would be alert and ready
for any emergency-he distrusted the
police-besides he had cousin among
the firemen and in an underlined way
he felt the family credit was at stake.
After this Rogers returned to the
! top of Hill street. where he encountered
some of the menagerie men dragging a
handcart containing appliances for
capture, with SecomO. the lion tanner at
their head. SecOmO was dressed in his
professional costume, with couple of
revolvers in his belt and his whip in
his hand. 1t was a curious, motley
group they presented, struggling
through the deserted streets in the
gray morning light; but Dick was not
in condition of mind to draw compar-
ison, even if he had felt inclined to do
so.
As they entered narrow lane a fire
engine dashed up, the men armed with
crowbars and hatchetS. In a moment
the gates were pried open; they all
passed in and fastened the gates be-
hind him. Stop exclaimed the show
proprietor, in tone of entreaty-
Rogers without any ceremony, had
snatched a revolver from SECONDS
belt. The man looked too dangerous
at that moment to argue with.
You will not exclaimed the show
man; kill the lion if you can help;
he's valuable beast, and SecOmO and
myself have no doubt we can take him
alive"
There was no need to tell the crowd
in which direction to go. for a confused
sound of growing and roaring led them
at once to the spot. To their astonish-
ment FittOn descended from the boiler
house and advanced to meet them.
The ould lads all rect" he said, at
once OBTAINING Rogers. and then ad-
dressing the assembled group. They
pressed forward and beheld the lion
enveioped in a rope with a moose about
It's neck-Struggling and choking and
madly striving to disentangle its bonds,
but only making matters wOrse-the
rope was actually tied to a stout beam
above the lions head At sight of the
company the animal covered in sullen
anger. Then while preparations went
forward Fitton explained to those who
stood by how he had silently crept out
and assembled to the roof-rafteps by
means of the wall ladder to place
where he had, only two days before.
cOiled a quantity of rope; that he had
formed a moose of the strongest and
successfully dangled it over the Sleep
ing animals nose, and each time it
moved its head to be free from the
tickling sensation he had contrived to
get the moose with its running slip-knOt
little further over. and that now one
paw and its head were tightly secured
by one rope. while another long rope
impeded its freedom, having got twisted
around its body during the struggles OF
the Infatuated brute. Dick had been
quietly sitting on the man-hole while
the preparations progressed, and Jenny
watching from behind him.
Although it took them all some time
to haul the animal into the small cage
that had been brought on the handcart,
still the thing was done; and when the
show opened that morning at ten
o'clock the proprietor commenced the
best days work he had ever had, for
ne did not fail to record, in superlative
language. the adventures of the night
Il am no scholard." said Dick, as he
walked home with Jenny on that sunny
morning, IAN | Gamma weel tell thee
all that is in my heart for thee, lass;
may be, had the book-learnin' folks
say as your mother gave thee"
But the girl stopped him: AYE,
Dick. and my mother told me as it
wasn't knowledge as made folks happy,
but just the respect of an honest man
why-thee knows, Dick"
And Dick said he knew, and proved