The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1897-03-11
TIE LION tanner.

uTbx lioness will be the death Of
youyet Joe."
.psbaw!" and Joe Amberly, "the
linn tanner" OF large travelling cir
ems. laughed at the predictions OF his
assistant
"You mhy laugh as much as you
/ please; but lsome day you will find !
an right, am that to your sorrow,
| though thenlit will be too late.
~ have performed with all the ami
mails for sone years, and never had
suy difficulty"
"You fofget the one at Longtown. !"
.That d MT amount to much. I
soon brouEt him to subsection"
oBut the trouble commenced with
this same lioness.
"Yes though it wouldn't have been
20 bad if those cats of hunting leop-
srds had not set up yell, and drawn
The black tiger into the affray."
"She has bad temper when it is up
lis the most treacherous beast ever
fed or had anything to do with. l have
been watching her close for couple
Of days." continued the assistant,
'and know she is mighty cross
grained. So, depend upon it, you are
going to have trouble"
II don't see why moro than at any
pthsr."
"There are times--and you know it,
Lyou will only refect-and this is
One OF them. If was in your place,
wouldn't try to show off today with
any extras, but just give q common
performance, and get out OF the cage
ks quick as l could"
"You know what we advertise, and
what crowd has gathered.
eyes, with laugh; ''and I know
re never have or do one half there is
P the bills. Paper is cheap. Joe, but
human life is precious. Think how
poorly off you would leave your wife
md child if anything should happen
3 you, and what would become of
our wife if anything should happen
the child?"
"Do not mention it'll"
The man who had handled and
lined and toyed with the savage
casts as If they had been harmless
Pttens, groaned aloud at the thought.
man OF the most ardent, even pas
onate nature, he bowed down in
orship to his wife and little girl. And
at day it had been advertised that
would take his child and a pail of
ood into the cage with him.
j was very daring, foolhardy pro-
Ct at the best; but how much more
when the beasts were Soubly savage
q out OF temper-when the slight
hing might arouse them to all
eir pristine fury, and the fierce blood
the wilderness assert itself in all its
npestuous wrath.
1he old lion in the cage, though a
'nster IN size, was inoffensive, tame
ooedient. In the language OF the
pers, ne was ''good for nothing
70 make show and sit back in
corner grind his teeth and growl."
slaes' he was his friend. and upon
re than one occasion he had acted
part OF peaoemaker. The leop-
"a pair of spotted cheetahs--
. scarcely to be taken into consid-
eon. The black tiger. the most
Z and strikingly beautiful animal in
collection. was ordinarily quiet.
ugh when fully aroused not to be
led WITH.
Pu' The lioness was the especial one
pc watched. She was a beast of
ommon power, with massive arms,
curving claws. 1.-the and nervous
serpent, teeth sharp as needles,
'ie' treacherous, smooth, tawny
aud yellow eyes that flashed
cely' Never. even in her best
Pas, had she Been submissive. and
n'iaest play Was rough in the
(eme.
= non tanner turned from his
paaion to gol and dress for his
0''ve but angerous perform
ous before loing 80. he visited
= double cage and made cri-