The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-13

~ NE OF the anecdotes related
by Cleveland Moffett in the
eighth of his Danger and
Daring" papers In the. st.
Nicholas, shows how necessary is pres
encc of mind, II one aspires 10 be a
tanner Of wild beasts.
This recalls story that Mr. Bos-
took told me, showing how Bianca's
fondness for her lions persisted even
In the face Of fierce attack. Ii was
In Kansas City, and for some days
Spitfrc had been working badly, so
that on this particular afternoon BIZ
anca had spent two hours in the big
exhibition cage trying TO get the
lioness into good form. But Spittire
remained sullen and refused TO do
one perfectly easy thing, a jump over
a pedestal.
ASK Mr.. BostOck 10 please come
here" called Blanca finally, quite at
her wits end with the performance
hour approaching and hers the chief
act. TO 20 on with Spltfire in re-
bellion would never do, for the spirit
Of mischief spreads among lions and
tigers as among children. Spitfre
must be forced to jump over that
pedestal
Mr.. Bostock arrived presently, and
nj once entered the cage, carrying two
whips, as is the custom. There is
something In this man that impresses
animals and tanners alike. 1t Is not
only that he Is big and strong, and
loves his animals, and does not fear
them; that would scarcely account
for his extraordinary prestige which
Is his rather because he knows lions
and tigers as can only man who has
literally spent his life with them.
From father and grandfather he has
inherited precious and unusual lore OF
the cages. He was born IN a menagerie,
he married the daughter OF n menag-
erie owner. he sleeps always within
a few feet Of the dens, he eats with
rOars Of lions In his ears. And his
principle is, and always has been,
that he will enter any cage at any
time If n real need calls him-wbich
has led to many n situation like that
created by Spitfire's disobedIence.
II should he borne in mind that there
were many groups in the menagerle at
this time, each with its regular tanner;
and while Bostock, as owner and
director. watched over all of them, IL
often happened that months would
pass without putting his foot inside
this or that particular cage. And in
the present case be was practically
stranger to the four lions and the tiger
now ranged around on their pedestals
in scmicircle thirty feet in diameter,
with big Brutus in the middle and
the snarling Sptfire at one end.
We'll" said Mr.. Bostock, explain
ing what happened, II saw that Bi-
anca had made n mistake in handling
Spittire from too great a distance. She
had stood about seven feet away, so /
stepped three feet closer and lifted one
Of my whips. There were just two
things that Spittre could do: she could
spring at me and have trouble, or she
could jump over the pedestal and
have no trouble. She growled little.
looked at me, and then she jumped
over that pedestal like u lady.
THE rest was easy. put her
through some other tricks. circled her
around the cage a couDle of times. and
brought her back to her corner. Then.
as she crouched there and snarled at
me, | played tattoo with my whip
handle on the floor just i'm front of her.
1t was just sort Of flourish To finish
off with. ana il was one thing too
much; for in doing this turned away
from the rest of the group and made
BrutuS think that | meant to hurt the
!ioncsS. He said To himself: 'Hullo!
Here's a stranger in our cage taking
n whip to Spitfre. I'll just settle
him And before | could move he
spranS twenty feet off his pedestal. set
his fangs in my thigh. and dragged
me over 10 Blanca, rs If TO prove his
gallantry. Then the FrenchwOman
did n clever thing: she clasped her
arms around his big neck. drew his
head up, and fred her revolver close
TO his ear. or course she fred only
blank cartridge, but it brought
Brutus TO obedience. for that was Bi-
anca's regular signal i'm the act for the
lions 10 take their pedeStals; and the
habit of his work was so strong in
the old fellow that he dropped me
and jumped back To his place"