Smyrna times., 1902-02-05
ALL IN THE
DAYS WORK
BY ELIAS LISLB
Copyright, 19O1. by A. S. Richardson.
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between wet ana gllStenlng tanSS
Brindle, the performing lion of the
Cosmopolitan circus, let out sound
that was half groan and half roar.
''Whut! You bruter' said Berthels,
the elephant man. gesturing at him for
silence.
Don't abuse him." said the woman,
scarcely more than a girl, who stood
beside Berthels "He isn't in good hui
NOR today"
Should say he wasn't" replied Ber-
thels. "Ill tempered, bad hammered
beast! Wouldn't wonder if he was go.
inc bad
Nonsense! My lions don't go bad. !
Besides, he's only Il two-year-old. Look .
at old ArchOn He's ten if he's a day,
and you don't see him going bad, do
you?"
"There's something wrong with Brin- (
die, anyway" insisted the man.
"Of course there is. He's had rough !
morning of it. He was clumsy and
stepped on Archon'S toes at rehearsal,
and Archon boxed his ears. The hyena
in the next cage laughed, and that hurt
Brindle's feelings You know how SEN
Sitive he is. He sulked so that l had to
beat him to make him perform at all.
He's awfuly cut up about it, for you
know | really believe he is fond of
me-
wish you'd believe that about some
body else, Sue" said the man wistful-
eyes that were fixed on the lion.
Perhaps l don't want to-" said the
girl saucily. Besides. Brindle is my
sworn slave. You can hear him swear
ing now." she added. laughing. as the
handsome beast muttered liOnwise
deep down in his great chest.
mile. Zelka. the feline empress"
was right in her half jocular estimate
of Brindle Brindle was Il lion with
feelings. Some lions are savage, 9th
ers are sullen. more are treacherous.
and all are absolutely cod blooded.
There are Il very few exceptions to
this rule, however, and Brindle was
one of those very rare exceptions,
with q capacity for affection and 10y
atty. Mile. Zelka had only a faint in
it at all because he was the head of
the elephant herd. and elephant men
are very wise and believe nothing but
the worst about animals. That is the
only reason why all of them don't die
young. Berthels was anxious about
Mile Zelka. who was plain Sue Ran
some to him. That she wasn't Sue
Berthels was not his fault. If she
ever did become so, he intended that
her lion training career should end
and she suspected this So it was
partly coquetry that made her leave
him now. walk over to the cage and
putting her piquant face close up tC
the lions, begin to talk to him.
But Brindle's sensibilities had beer
lacerated. To be beaten by his queer
was a humiliation of spirit beyond al
others. Not yet had the smart of i
passed away. Therefore he now arOs
haughtily, stalked over to the farthe
corner of his cage and affected a ma
jestic disdain of his charmer's CONVEX
Sation.
"Well, you aren't very polite thi
afternoon" she remarked as she turT
ed away. Hope you'll feel bette
when it comes time for the show"
"And hope you'll cut that beast OF
of the programme tonight, Sue dear,
said Berthels as he went to his ell
plants.
After they had gone the hyena whic
had insulted Brindle that mOrnin
chose to make some jeering remark
Arose Brindle then in wrath al
spoke in substance as follows throue
the network of bars at which he clay
ed:
You snickering eater of better pc
pies leavings, if l could break in
that cage for about two seconds al
get one swipe at you I'd knock th
grin through the top of the tent"
"He, he, he. he! Ha-ah-h-h-hrr-h -ha
taunted the hyena. "Ha-ha"-
The hateful voice died away as a r
ing growl from Archon's cage ga
news that the king of the circus h
wakened-wakened with a strange f
in his eye, before which the other a
mails covered. For this was the fire
madness and murder which no man
wise enough to know, though all a
mails recognize it with terror. Arch
had gone bad. At one glance Brin
knew it; knew. too, that the demon
possession of the great lion might
craftily in wait for long, but that so
er or later it would glut itself
slaughter.
OF the attendants surrounding
cage where the feline empress ru
81 her beasts that night one wore gr
and drawn face. Berthels should h
been with the elephants. but anxi
81 had brought him into the ring w
Mile. Zelka's act was called. Wit
pang Of fear he noted the intense N
BUSINESS of the young lion, the u
promising performer of the lot.
die was stumbling through his
like an amateur. and his mistress
wise to be harsh, was coaxing
soothing him with hand and wand