Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-10-27

fedged and successful trainer and
performer.
This had been Drifter's ambition
ever since Mr.. Tempster* had taken
pity on him in the streets, when he
was: homeless: and hungry, and had
! given him a position. The trainer was
not always an easy master; he was
more often harsh andoverbearing han
gentle; but Drifter felt that he owed
him much.
AS the days and weeks and months
! passed, the boy learned the ways of
the trainer, and grew less and less
afraid Of the wild animals. 1t was an
eventful day for him when he first
dared to enter the cage of the lion and
stroke his shaggy name.
| That was the beginning of a new
life for him. In these dumb animals
he found companions which responded
to something in his own nature. He
grew passionately fond Of them, and
as this love developed corresponding
trustfulness seemed to spring up in the
dumb creatures. They permitted him
to caress and play with them as one
| of their own kind.
At first Mr.. Tempster did not like
this in timacy between his animals and
his ehore-boy; bpt, 1in' time. he saw
that it made @Drffter@ more useful to
him, and he said nothing. He could
throw more and more of his work upon
Drifter. =. ssa<.,, =. 49,, ~ y, .ss-:.s
T. But the ambition had entered the
boy s. mind to bee ONE a great trairfe r
of wild animals and on every occa-
sion Mr.. Tempster was away he de-
voted himself to the work of coaxing
the aninals=to go through certain:evo-
lutions. He never used harsh means
to accomplish this; his: own tender
heart prevented him from strikin g<or
prodding the crea lures to do his bid
ding. - s24z ~
+ Thus for two years he had practiced
training the animals secretly. aid
he was looking hopefully forward to
the day when he might obtain posi-!
ton as trainer. which would give him
| the absolute command of the circus
ring performers. =, :.
1t was not Drifter's fault that Mr..
Tempster had failed to give entire sat
isfaction to the, owners of the great
/ travelling circus Either: ]; through
Tslothfulness or drink the trainer
had neglected his duties, and the an
imals were learning no new tricks
and only indifferently performing
their old ones. 80.
One day he caught Drifter in the
act of putting his favorite fox-n CIV
wounded by an accident-through a
performance, and instead of repri-
handing the boy, he said calmly: -
"Well, you do it good enough to go
in the ring. I guess I'll let you do
the teaching hereafter, an I'll take
the credit for it all!"e. II,
He laughed harshly and turn ed upon
his heel. - r. 4s.sr
After that the boy trained his pet
animals more openly, and taught them
many new tricks, which Mr.. Demp-
ster took up and adopted after the
animals were broken into the work.
you'll make good trainer some
day, an then you'll go with another
circus" were all the thanks Drifter
received from this new service
But it was enough. 1t encouraged
him to persevere in his work. In a
short time he had every animal in
the cage devoted to him. His in
variable kindness aud patience had
won their hearts, while the harsher
methods of Mr.. Tempster caused more
or less sullen rebellion.
Outside of the big animal tent, Drift
er knew little of what was going on
among the circus people, for they very
seldom ventured into his quarters. So
one day when he looked up from his
work of putting the leopard through
a new trick and saw a man standing
back of him, he did not know that
it was the manager of the circus. But
he stopped instantly, intuitively guess
ing that the big stranger was a man
Of authority.
go on, my lad; go on" he said, in
a voice that was not unkindly modu-
lated. "You are doing splendidly.''
Thus encouraged, Drifter put. the
leopard through all of the tricks he
had: taught it. directing the an ina | so
skillfully by gentle words and motions
of the hand that it's natural grace was
ten-fold enhanced.
Bravo, my lad! You do it well!
Will any Of the other animals perform
tricks for your 80
eyes, sir; all Of them," Drifter re-
piled.
"Bring them out, then, one by one,
and let me see them 10 it,
The boy was anxious to please the
stranger, and he exhibited his skill so
successfully that he was surprised at