The sun., 1900-12-20
LIONS ON THE STAIRS.
An Exciting but Ridiculous Game of
Hide md Seek

A game of hide and seek with a party
of lions was once played at the house of
the late Charles Jamrach in London
The particulars of the affair are related
in Mr.. Bartlett's Life Among Wild
Beasts at the Zoo"
Three small emaciated lion cubs had
been purchased by Mr.. Jamrach, who, in
order TO give them leisure to recover
health and strength, had them conveyed
to u small room at the top of the house,
the windows of the room being barricad-
ed inside with strong iron netting.
The animals were placed under the
care of Mr.. Jamrachs principal assist
ant. Clarke, who fed and attended to
them so well that they rapidly improved
in condition.
With three or four establishments on
his hands, Mr.. Jamrach had not much
time to think Of the cubs and hardly re-
membered that they were in the house.
| There came day, however, when it was
necessary for Clarke to go to the docks.
AS he must be absent all day, he re-
minded his master that the lions up stairs
had to be fed.
"All right" said Jamrach; "I'll feed
them"
Later in the day he went up stairs,
| carrying the lions food. Upon his open
ing the door and entering the room, the
three lions, to his astonshment almost
full grown, took fright at the sight of
stranger, and before he could recover
himself they rushed past him and blum.
dered headlong down stairs.
Fearing that the door at the bottom
| Of the staircase leading into the parlor
might be open and that his wife might be
terrified If the lions should rush into the
room, Mr.. Jamrach called:
"Mary. Mary, the lions are coming
down stairs"'
Mrs. Jamrach shut the door in time to
prevent their entrance. In the door was
a glass panel, which enabled her to see
into the small passage at the foot of the
stairs, where the lions were standing. 1t
was an awkward position, and she watch
ed the animals with great anxiety.
In few minutes she saw them begin
to ascend the stairs. 1t was now her turn
to do the warning. Her husband might
not know that they were coming, so,
quietly opening the door, she called,
"Charlie, they're coming up stairs!"
Being unprepared to meet them, jam
rach beat hasty retreat. He heard
them growing savagely and thought best
to secure himself by taking possession of
their former quarters and shutting the
door.
Here he meditated on his predicament
and presently heard the animals starting
down again. Thereupon he thought of
his wife and, opening the door, shouted
another precaution. Soon it was the
wife's turn to do the warning, and so
the cries went back and forth: "Mary,
they are coming DOWN. "Charlie, they
are coming up!'
When this performance had been re-
, peated several times, the lions grew tired
Of ascending and descending. Finding
no means of exit, they took matters into
their own hands by possessing them
selves of bedroom on the second floor.
Thereupon Jamrach cautiously descended
to shut them in, and the game was over.
The lions remained in their new quar-.
ters until Clarke returned and coaxed
them back to their own habitation on the
top floor.
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