Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-05-14

Capt. Cassell, tapping the ivory knob O.
his cane against his teeth. "But thos'
rattlesnakes don't compare in size to ;
cobra capello once killed in our tent al
Dungapore when"-
And the rounds of applause drowned
the end of his sentence.
"Ah! a tiger tanning aetr' said the cap
tain, consulting his programme. "'The
Marvellous Signor Mahmelli and his pu
pill, Rajahr Call that Bengal tiger, dc
they? l wish you could have seen the
fellow I shot, last summer in the
jungles at Hoodah. My sister has his
skin on her drawing room floor now,
made into rug. 1t had killed four men
and sacred OK, and the natives called
him The Scourge of the Shore Oh, yes,
L don't deny that the fellow handles him
very neatly, but
= At that second, just when the Beast
of the Tropics" was drowsily going
through with his list of accomplish
ments, the lash of his keeper struck a
trif1e sharper than usual, or some other
unseen cause ignited the powder maya
zine of the animals slumbering savagery.
With a ferocious roar he sprang forward,
Telling the keeper with single blow of
his paw, and leaped toward the row of
footlights, whose fitful flicker seemed to
irritate him as a red rag enrages bull.
There was shrek, rush, moment
or two of wild confusion. Ally Ames
uttered scream. Capt Cassen had
turned as pale as tallow candle.
"We'd better get out of this" said he,
hoarsely. "Quick! quickr
But Alice, paralyzed by fear, sat as
still as death.
IL can't moveI' she gasped. 81
think I'm going to faint"
The captain hesitated a second, and
finally decided matters by taking to his
heels. with the rest of the flying crowd.
Alice shut her eyes with cold shudder;
she could see the tawny death spring
upon her; but in a moment she. opened
them again at the sound of triumphant
shout that 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 Cd his forehead, the red
fire in his eyes, and she knew that it
was for life or death.
"After ALL" said the minister, 'these
circuses are sinful risks to human life.
shall never see my way clear to attend
ing one again. Suppose that brave young
fellow had been killed before our face
and eyes in the noble effort ne made to
save our lives"
"Golly, though, pa, wasn't it grand?"
said John Henry, the good mans eldest
hope. "'Most equal to Spanish bull
fight. Everybody knows that Lee Rock
wells the strongest fellow in Durkill
Four Corners, but the old tiger'd got the
best of him if it hadn't been for that
lick Lee gave him over the head with
the sharp edge of the cornet that the
music men had dropped when they got
under the stage, like lightning. 1t was
as good as Damascus scimrter, Lee
says, and once stunned, it was easy
enough for the property men to kill him.
It'll be an awful loss to the circus
folks, though" refectively added John
Henry. There amt many tigers of
that size in the travelling ring in this
ountry."
''But wasn't it funny, husband" said
the minister's wife, "about Captain Cas-
sells, being found hiding under the
manger in the trained ponies stalls,
with the door tightly locked. A man
who, according to his own accounts,
has killed scores of leopards and half a
dozen elephants in India, and is afraid
Of nothing. I'm told that the engage
ment between him and Alice Ames is
off, and that she is spending week
with Terebinth Rockwell. The fright
and the danger have made poor Tere-
binth quite ILL.,"
But if the minister's wife had only
known it, Terebinth was a great deal
better now, and she and Ally were busy
making gown of white surah silk, with
a great deal of soft lace and ribbon bows
above it.
Because" said Ally, laughing, "Le-
ander says he won't wait-and a man
who can conquer tiger oughtn't to be
by woman"
"You really love me, then?" said
Leander.
81 really love you," repeated Alice.
'And oh, Leander! l am so very, very
proud of you" ."-Amy Randolph, in Neao
York Ledger.