The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-09-25

Daring" papers I'm the st.
Nicholas, shows how necessary is pres
ence of mind, IL one asplres 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
Spltfire had been working badly, so
that on this particular afternoon Bi-
anca had spent two hours in the big
exhibition cage trying to get the
Iioncss into good form. But Spitiirc
remained sullen and refused to do
one perfectly easy thing, jump over
q pedestal.
ASK Mr.. Bostock to please come
here" called Blanca finally. quite Mt
her wits end. with the performance
hour approaching and hers the chief
act. To 90 ON with Spitfire in re-
bclllon would never do, for the spirit
of mischief spreads among lions and
tigers as among children. Sptiire
must he forced TO jump over that
pedestal.
Mr.. Bostock arrived presently, and
Mt once entered the cage, carrying two
whips. as is the custom. There is
something in this man that impresscs
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 MS can only Il man who has
literally spent his life with them.
From father and grandfather he has
Inherited precious and unusual lore of
the cages. lie was born menagerie
he married the daughter of menag-
erie owner, lie sleeps always within
q 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 real need calls him-which
has led to many II situation like that
created by Spitfire's disobedience.
1t should be borne in mind that there
this time, each with its regular tanner:
and while Bostock. as owner and
director, watched over all of them, II
often happened that months would
pass without putting his foot inside
this or that particular cage. And in
the present case he was practically Il
stranger to the four lions and the tiger
now ranged around on their pedestals
In semlcircle thirty feet i'm diameter,
with big Brutus i'm the middle and
tbs snarling Spltfire at one end.
"Well," said Mr.. Bostock. explain
Ing what happened. 81 saw that Bi-
anca had made n mistake in handling
Spitfire from too great distance. She
had stood about seven feet away. so l
stepped three feet closer and lifted one
of my whips. There were just two
things that Spltfire could do: she could
spring at me and have trouble, or she
could jump over the pedestal and
have no trouble. She growlcd little
looked at me, and then she jumped
over that pedestal like a lady.
"The rest was easy. l put her
through some other tricks, circled her
around the cage couple of times. and
brought her back to her corner. Then
as she crouchcd there and snarled at
me, l played tattoo with my whip
handle on the floor just In front of her
1t was just sort of flourish to finish
off with, and 1t was one thing toe
much; for in doing this l turned away
from the rest of the group and made
Brutus think that l meant TO hurt the
iioness. He said to HIMSELF 'Hullo
Here's stranger in our cage taking
n whip to Spitfre. I'll just settl,
him. And before 1 could move hC
sprang twenty feet off his pedestal, SCI
his fangs in my thigh, and dragged
me over to Blanca, as If to prove his
gallantry. Then the Frenchwoman
did a clever thing; she clasped hei
arms around his big neck, drew hi,
head up, and fired her revolver Close
to his ear. OF course she fired only
a blank cartridge, but it brough
Brutus TO obedience, for that was Ri
anca's regular signal in the act for thu
lions to take their pedestals; and thu
habit of his work was so strong il
the old fellow that he dropped mC
and jumped back to his place"