Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-16
usIes. he Retained the eood-win al ereru

ousies. he retained the goodwill of every
one. Perhaps his warmest attachment was
Tor the lion tanner, a stalwart. black-mus-
tacfed siX-footer. known as the "Parson,"
VINO, in addition to subjugating wild ami
mails. had entire charge of the menagerie
annex.
1t was in the menagerie that Paul spent
much OF his leisure time, for he had always
been partial TO natural history and This
was an opportunity to study at close range
not to be despised. ''Old Tobe'' the big
toothless lion. learned TO know his voice
and never failed to stick out his paw for a
friendly shake when the lad passed-S.s
cage. Tiny Mimi" a pretty little nd
set monkey, would chatter with deN
when Paul approached her and at his ~
parture would cling to the bars and cry
piteously for his return. Even vicious Pot
iphar," the black elephant that had killed
two of his keepers, permitted Paul TO fondle
his trunk and feed him crackers. a supply
of which he usually kept in his pocket when
he visited the elephants.
There was one member of the "Parson's''
family with which Paul could never get on
intimate terms, despite all his friendly ad-
vances. This was a beautifully spotted
ugress called Satan, which the lion tanner
had formerly exhibited when she was
younger but whose ugly temper had COM
PEELED him to desert after two or three at
tempts that nearly cost him his life.
one day, while showing at a place called
Timaru, along nnety-mile beach in the
middle islands, Satan broke loose from her
ne IlIle Sne chose Tor this pleas
antry was Immediately following the after
noon performance. when, luckily, the
menagerie was pretty well deserted, only
Paui and the attendants CHANGING TO be
present. Feeding time had arrived and a
mass OF raw meat, placed inadvertently I'm
front OF her cage, had so tantalized Satan
tnat she tore up the floor near the front of
ner prison, and, squeezing through, with n
wlld scream of delight reached in a bound
gered. mum
Al that moment Paul was feeding tiny
Mill the pet monkey. not a dozen steps
iIohi Mhere satan lay crOuching and snarl-
ing. The shouts of terror from the scat
terlns attendants and the hasty glance he
caught of the liberated animal were erougb
~ aI use MN TO join the others in a mad
lusn LOT SAFETY, and in a minute he was
summing up the main guy of the center p.la
trail. was Ho' On ms
The "Parson" was feeding his no, uo,s
strips of raw beef when Same ,iI,.
pht MT cries rang through the rnenaperia
ana although bis back was toward ~
tisress ne OWNED instantly what had han
pei ed. Selling his heavily loaded v-hin
without moments hesitation the intrenid
Fellow STROBE across to where Satan law
worrying bloody bone She growIed saw
Sgeiy as ne approached. and began lashlng
ner beautiful tail from right to left. wbiIe
her long, supple spine gradually arcbad as
she rose for spring
From his coiRne of vantage aloft Paul
vas an intensely interested spectator OF
Nnat followed. He saw the lion-tamer con-
centrate his fearless eyes on the escanad
brute, which for one moment quailed be-
fore his piercing gaze. That moment was
latai 10 her hopes of liberty. Like flash
OF Hghtnlng the loaded whip leaped in the
air and descended with the force of a
siedge hammer on Satan's skull She sank
back with a long wailing cry of distress
that was almost human. and in two min
utes lay insensible under the terrific blows
administered by her trainer
By ms time half dozen attendants had
rushed TO the rescue when, with a single
sarcastic reference to their tarliness their
chief CURLY ordered the animal placed in
stronger quarters and placidly returned 10
the task from which he had been SO alb
ruptly summoned
The lion tanner chuckled as he caught
sight of Paurs 1.-the figure slipping down
the center pole, and he was still smiling
when the lad Joined him in front of the
hyenas' cage. which happened to be next
that in which the attendants were deposit
ing Satan.
Say, son. you made pretty good time
getting up there. didn't you?' he inquired
in his quiet. drawing tones.
Paul biushed and looked sheepish but
before he could answer the sturdy trainer
remarked: "Oh, well, L don't blame you for
it. boy; but 1 might have expected some
thirg different from my own men," And
that was the only rebuke the big-hearted
giant launched toward-his weak-kneed at
tendants. nor did he ever recur to the sub
ject again.
BY gradual stages the circus covered all
the principal towns of the middle island,
and at length reached the pretty city of
Christchurch. in the province Of Canter-
bury, where two weeks stand was on the
program. AT this place the troupe was re-
inforced by the arrival of Dick Baxter and
his wife, the former still too weak to work,
but entirely recovered IRON his illness and
rapidly growing stronger.
He greeted Paul very kindly, thanked him
1flllx for hal aA incl
on turning over half his salary TO his sub
stitute. To this the latter stoutly demur-
red. and ended by fatty refusing the prof
fered money. Finding hun obdurate, Dick
sought a jewelers. and purchased plain.
broad band of Australian gold. inside which
he had engraved: