Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-11-21

noon. Ally, Terebinth and I win have
10 go to the circus by ourselves, l sup
pose."
The mammoth tent on Durkill COM
mon was crowded that night. Calumet's
circus was a local celebrity and had been
widely advertised. The rural population
had not many opportunities Of enjoy
ment and did not propose to let this n
go by default. Every n was there,
from Elder Atkinson and his wife down
10 little Michael Ryan, the cobbler, and
his pinched looking better half. Capt.
Cassell and pretty Alice Ames occupied
a conspicuous front seat, and a few rows
further back sat Leander Rockwell with
Miss Terebinth aud her friend, Hannah
Binns, beside her, q plain little seam
stress body, who had been asked at the
eleventh hour-'sooner than waste the
ticket" thrifty Miss Terebinth had said.
One by the unparalleled attrao-
lions" had been put forward-the time
worn clown, the spangled columbine,
trained elephants, the bicycle riders and
the swarthy snake charmer, with the
gold %crescents dangling from his ears
and the great glittering stage diamond
in the front Of his turban.
"Oh, isn't it wonderful cried Alice
Ames.
pretty fair, pretty fair" answered
Capt. Cassell, tapping the ivory knob Of
his cane against his teeth. "But those
rattlesnakes don't compare in size to a
cobra capello L once killed in our tent ut
Dungapore when"-
And the rounds Of applause drowned
the end of his sentence.
"Ahl n tiger tanning actr' said the cap
tain. consulting his programme. "'The
Marvellous Signor Mahmelli and hispupil,
Rajahr Call that "A Bengal tiger, do
they? l wish you could have seen the
fellow 1 shot. that last summer in the
iungles at Hoodah. Ny sister has his
skin on her drawing i-oom floor now,
made into u rug. It had killed four men
and n sacred OK. and the natives called
him The Scorrge OF the Shore Oh, yes,
| don't deny that the fellow handles him
very neatly, but
At that seco1d, just when the "Beast
of the Tropics" was drowsily going
through with his list Of accomplish
ments, the lash of his keeper struck a
trife sharper than usual, or ONT other
unseen cause igaited the powder maya
zine of the animals slumbering savagery.
With a ~ferociOus roar he sprang forward,
telling the keeper with a single blow of
his paw, and leaped toward the row Of
footlights, whose ftful flicker seemed to
irritate him as u red rag enrages a bull.
There was a shrek, n rush. a moment
or two of wild confusion. Ally Ames
uttered a scream, Capt. Cassell had
turned as pale as a tallow candle.
Wed better get out Of this" said he,
hoarsely. "Quickl quick!'
But Alice, paralyzed by fear, sat as
still Is death.
IL can't mover she gasped. 81
think I'm going to flint"
The captain hesitated a second, and
finally decided matters by talking to his
heels. with the rest of the flying crowd
Alice shut her eyes with Il cold shudder
she could not see the tawny death spring
upon her: but in a moment she opened
them again at the sound Of a triumphant
shout thnt went up around her.
Leander Rockwell was in the arena
lately occupied by the vanquished band
struggling with the savage monster
She could see his set teeth, the veins
standing out On his forehead, the rec
fire in his eyes, and she knew that it wa,
for life or death.