Evening journal., 1899-09-09

full death.
Zenobe was less nervous than any of
us about her dangerous feat, and that
alone was something in her favor. For
my part had stood each night during
her performance and watched her at
that dizzy height through the slightly
parted curtains, with my head giddy,
my heart sick, and my pulse scarce
beating. And / stood there that night,
with my three elephants trunks
swinging about behind me as theywait-
ed my word to go in; and I watched,
strainine my eyes in a hopeless effort
to read line of doubt or fear upon
zenobe's pale young face.
watched her slip her little foot into
the hoop Of the hosting rope unhesi.
tsiingly. ! saw her pirouetting in <he
air, until she reached and stepped upon
the landing-stage. She seemed herself
that night. She knew her audience and
kept them waiting just long enough for
their sensation. Then, picking up the
balancing-pole she slid her foot upon
the rope.
1t was not much beyond mere walk
ing that the girl could do. The feat of
walking with a sack over her head ap-
peared very sensational and went down
with the audience that night. But, az
most people know, the sack-trick is a
very tame one in reality, the sack being
guide, rather than an obstacle 10 prop
er balance.
Zenobe was crossing the rope for the
third time, carrying a big Japanese
parasol, when L saw that the rope was
swaying rather peculiarly and zenobe
commencing 10 walk back to the start
ing-stage. AtfirstIcouldno dnotunderstand
the situation. There was nothing suf-
hcienuy violent in Zenohe's move
ments to so agitate the rope, and we all
knew that she had the greatest obiec-
tion TO walking backwards.
! whats up?" 1 muttered in the ring
masters ear.
"she's walking back because she
can't turn on the rope" he replied
but why she doesn't go on and turn OF
the other stage"
At this moment a sudden fear seemed
TO possess the audience; half-stifeJ
murmur went round the hall, swelling
into mighty groan. Then the audi
snce rose like an army, and stood spell
bound, hushed to paralyzed silence b,
] the dawning knowledge Of the TRACED.
that was being enacted.
Then / saw, and seeing, understood
With uncertain, backward steps, Zen
ODE was retreating, with her long bal
! ancing pole dipping first on one sid
: then on the other, like a see-saw; ant
the rope was shaking violently, no
7 from her movements, but from the far
ther end. And there, perched upon tn
. little, narrow landing-shelf, sat GoblC
the great gorilla, its long, ugly hand
clenched round the rope, which il wa
! shaking with all its strength.
/ uttered a cry Of horror. The CT
was echoed by thousand throats q
= something whirled through the air, an
= Zenobe-our Zenobe-lay upon he
:, back in the middle of the sawdust ring
1t was not that loved her less tina
all the others, but alone Of all keI
my head at that hideous moment. Wat
a sob, / turned and fled as fast as III
feet could patter to the nearest doc
7 of the staircase that led to the close
! gallery. To reach this door I had
= pass through the nhenagerie, betwee
. the rows of horse-stalls and the row
- of cages And as l ran, the beast
seeming to catch the fire that burne
within me, set up their own wild erie
q Passing the leopards on my right,
v threw a flying glance at the cage {
the great gorilla, and-stopped.
., Breathless, with the sweat of heat an
:, horror thick upon my neck and bro'
i. ] stood and gazed in mute amazemey
- at the great gorilla, as he stood up
frLnt of his cage and stretched his lon
l., muscular arms rirough the bars L
wards me.
or In his cags The great gorilla in b
n, cage, when 20 seconds before my ov
.. eyes had seen him swinging from Il
=. lattice-girding of the roof 80 feet abo
70. my head on Che other side of the gre
NJ buildingl
~ What could it mean? l dashed Il
~ sweat from off my brow as if to fr
m my brain from the weight of my ngon
he 1 tried the iron cage door, and saw tn
M the bolt was shot-shot firmly HON
MI Could the gorilla have done that? ltw
N possible. Could he have got back ia D
,d cage in 20 seconds and done IT,? Th
IN also was just possible. But was ii pro
nd able that the wild beast. having gain
his freedom, would make such viole
On haste 20 be a captive once againP \
So no!
er turned quickly TO The foot of the gi
re lery stairs aad, with Eay hand upon 4
sai,, : paused. Pausing, 1 heard son
an one bounding oowv fight after fiigl
ed and sudden thought struck me. Ste
e1 ping behind n huge heap of canvas co
ad erings, / waited, noiselessly pantiu
e). all eyes and ears.
he ! heard someone bounding down {
he last flight of gallery stairs, I saw I
he slight, 1.-THE form of man, clad In iles
m tint tights, spring up 10 the gorill
RS cage and dash himself against the dol
ec- IT was Stavartal
in "Oh, beastl Oh, son Of evil" he crit