The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-14
Saved by a Hi s.

rim with a stick. and we weakly succumbed
N his frenzied appeals and went inside.
We did this. I am sure, partly to please the
espieler.' who would have been dreadfully
disappointed IL we hal not done so, but
partly. too. to please Toppan. who was
always interested in the great beasts and
liked 10 watch them.
II IL possible that you may remember
Toppan as the man who married Victoria
Boyden, and, in so doing. thrust his great
ness from him and became a bank clerk
instead Of an explorer. After he married
ne came to be quite ashamed Of what he
had done in Thibet and Africa and other
unknown corners OF the earth, and after
4 while seldom spoke of that part of his
life at all, or. when he did, 4 was only to
allude TO it as a passing boyish fancy, al
together foolish and silly. like calf love
and early attempts at poetry.
Il used to think 1 was going to set the
world on fire at one time" he said once.
Il suppose every young fellow has some
such ideas. I only made an ass of myself,
and I'm glad I'm we'll out of II. Victoria
saved me from that"
But this was long afterwards. He died
hard. and sometimes he would have mo-
ments Of strength in his weakness, Just
as before he had given up mis- career dur
ing a moment Of weakness in his strength.
During the first years after he had given
mp his career he thought he was content
with the way things had come TO be: but
II was not so. and now and then the old
feeling, the love OF the old life, the old
ambition, would be stirred into activity
again by some sight or sound or episode
in the conventional life around him.
\ chance paragraph in a newspaper, a
sight Of the Arizona deserts of sage and
cactus. a momentary panic on a ferry
boat sometimes even fine music or a great
poem would wake the better part OF him
10 the desire of doing great things. At
such times the longing grew big and trou-
blous within him to cut loose from it all
and get back to those places of the earth
where there were neither months nor
years. and where the days Of the week had
no names; where he could feel unknown
winds blowing against his face and UNI
known mountains rising beneath his feet;
where he could see great, sandy. stony
stretches of desert with hot, blue shadows,
and plains of salt, and thickets of jungle
grass, broken only by the lairs of beasts
and the paths the steinbok make when
tneg go down to water.
The most trifiing thing would recall all
this to him, just as a couple of notes have
But with Toppan it was as though one
had recalled the arias and overtures and
tuel WdS not allowed 10 sing them.
We went into the arena and sat down.
me ring IN the middle was fenced in by
a great circular iron cage. The tiers Of
seats rose around this. a band was playing
q 2 box over the entrance, and the whole
interior was lighted by an electric globe
slung over the middle OF the cage.
Inside the cage a brown bear-to me
less suggestive OF a wild animal than OF
lapro6es and ~furriers' signs-was dancing
steeply and allowing himself 10 be prodded
by a person whose celluloid standing collar
slowed white at the neck above the green
or his Tyrolese costume. The bear was
NANCY, and his steel muzzle had chafed
him. and Toppan said he was corrupted of
moth and rust alike, and the audience ap-
plauded but feebIy when he and his keeper
After this we had a clown elephant.
baggy breeches-like those Of a particularly
blg French Turco-who had lunch with his
and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief
and a bed quilt. and pulled the chair from
underneath his companion, seeming to be
amused at IL ali with a strange sort of
suppressed elephantine mirth.
And then. after they had both made their
DOW and gone out. in bounded and tumbled
the dogs, barking and grinning all over.
jumping up on their stools and benches.
giggling and excited like so many. kinder
dsy. 'nl am sure on they eni TaSG
audience did. for they never had to be told
Wnat 10 do. and seemed only too eager
was that they were quite unconscious Of
the audience and appeared to do their tricks
Tor the sake of the tricks themselves. and
not Tor the applause which followed them.
And then. after the usual programme of
wicker cylinders. hoops and balls was over.
they all rushed off amid a curious scrat-
ting OF paws and clipping of tails and heels.
While this had been going on we had
oeen nearing from time to time a great
sound. half whine. half rumbling cultural
CodEn. that came from somewhere behind
me exit from the cage. 1t was repeated
al rapidly decreasing intervals and grew
louder an pitch until il ended in a short
bass grunt. 1t sounded cruel and menace
ing. and when at its full volume the wood
I tra.ed.
\ There was a little pause in the pro-
r. SC,flne while the arena was cleared and
and much larger and heavier para
ph .lalia were set about and a gentleman
nat entered and announced "the worlds
greatest lion tanner" Then he went away
ana the tanner came in and stood expect
antty by the side of the entrance; there
was another short wait and the band
struck a long minor chord.
And then they came in, one after the
other with long. crouching, lurching
strides. not at all good humoredly. like
the dogs or the elephant or even the bear.
but with lOw-hanging heads. surly. watch
ful. their eyes cleaning with the rage and
nate that burned in their hearts and that
hide rolled and rippled over the great mus
Sles as they moved. and the breath com
turned 10 steam as it struck the air.
A huge black painted see-saw was
~ 81 S@ALC anu lit IalNF
made q sharp sound of m Slowly
and with switching tails two of them
Oheyed, and. clambering uDon the balancing
board. swung up and down, while the
music played a see-Saw waltz.
And al the while their great eyes famed
with the detestatioa oa the thing and their
black upper lips curle away from their
long fangs in protest of this hourly re-
newed humiliation and degradation.
And one OF the others. while awaiting his
turn to be whipped and builied. sat up on
his launches and faced us and looked far
away beyond us and over the heads of the
audience-over the continent and ocean. as
Il were-as though he saw something in
that quarter hat Tade him forget his pres
You grand old bruter' muttered Top
pan; and then he said: do you know
what YOU would see If you were 20 look
into his eyes now You would see Africa,
and unnamed mountains, and great stony
stretches OF desert, with hot blue shadows.
and plains OF salt. and lairs in the jungle
grass. and lurking places near the paths
the steinbok make when they go down to
water. But now he is hampered and Gagged
Is there anything worse than a Gagged
Hon2-and kept from the life he loves and
Vas made for'-just here the tanner spoke
sharply TO him, and his eyes and crest
dr~opped-"and ruled over" concluded Top
pan. by some one who is not 50 great as