Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-20
IMU7IIN'|Y OF THE. lions /: ! !. 5
Bonavita Escaped Narrowly
With His Life
Yesterday.

Blythe blood of boiled bull-pups, am
aWealyz " LiIis dSe siaVSry: - bS.to" eu ttte
stAau..c l.o!l Caesur@ III toIles ~h.oh sou
~ i.ne tie sp.ltlili5 OF O.us Oat.e ~ q Hut
fictsiie, atiu lllCl IuiiulSu III tne 1dLtet
OF neSbos,ock SDuiluli.eot untll Oedin, potl,
ana LlInuer u embleu asaln.
.'Eorsoutn, Il, 100, aliI or thy nina:
rOaieu UaCk Baltimore with 81 .noty
s,ilLCn Oh n.s laHl .ail, anu Win s.sEn
entters IN niS eyes @Wnlcn2Doded2i III IofE II
nam. whose lllnps snouiu COME within
leach olalne huge WinteSteetn sat IN RED
Jaws. tsY5.s.
"A dark plot was Matching among the
monarcns o. the jungle VINO 1--we Dealnd
the bars al abostocn 5.
WnAe tine beasts are in tnls teFIlDle
MOOD the nour tor the performance comes
around.
bonavita, the trainer. comes with his
shleid-uoor into the narrow run way,
which leads from the lions living oens. 70
the arena, his pulse Isl easy and ms heart
is stout, for how can he know Z OF tne
bloody plans which are forming against
him in the brains under those great vel.
low, Stating -foreheaoS?
He clicks the latch of one of the dens
and two lions stretch their muscular
length and glide stealthily to place at
his side In the runway. Another slatch
clicks and two more taWny saVageS creep
into the narrow passage.
In a few moments the. keeper. 1s alone 9
with no bars between himself and twenty
five monsters sworn to have his blood.
The plot is ready to be sprung,
Twenty-Five. sets of massive muscles set
nervousiy under twenty-five yellow hides,
and fifty green eyes glitter ominously.
For the honor of the jungle, and
fresh-meat lunch!" roars Schley to 5Cae~
Sar.ssS
Els. 1.-THE beast with tlle-blue-skin -he-can-
take-off shall never again spit fire through
his nose-stick In the eyes of the King OF
beats!" Caesar bellows back. and, like
the lightning. he is at Bonavita,s throat.
C,,tf IT, no of ~ trJrn
intended that the daring trainer should
leave these parts yesterday at noon. for
the conspiracy of the lions was baked
by one Of their own number-by crusty..
old Denver. He Is as willing as any OF
his relations to taste Bonavita.s blood,
but for several days he has felt that
Caesar has not treated him with proper
respe ct. And so when Caesar sprung at
this movement as a personal insult, and
In the desire for revenge, he lost all
thought Of fresh meat and bit Caesar in
the hind leg. This diversion saved Bona
able able to struggle into one of the
empty dens and lock the door behind him
with no worse injury than having his
clothes almost torn from his body and re-
cefving several gasfles In his breast from
sharp claws.
But his danger was not yet entirely
over; for the: people in the promenade could
see the door Of the den bend and strain
as the HOES IIied 10 OulSlI Ill open 10 sSSt
in at their trainer. They might have
succeeded. finally, had not 5Bonavita fred
blank cartridges through the bars in their
faces. and thus intimidated them to such
an extent that the ringleaders crep!,
cowed. into their own dens. where the
doors were shut on them by shown en- on
the promenade. by means Of ropes. which
are kept tied to the doors. and then stuck
out Of the bars In front for use In Just
such emergencies.
The only trouble after this. came from
Schley, who, when he found that he could
not try his, teeth on a man, roared out:
Anything. anything easy to chew!'
And forthwith seized another lion by the
the throat: Then the trainer, holding
his shield-door. in front of him. ventured
out into the RUNWAY. and by firing a fu-
SHADE OF blank CARTRIDGES in Schley's face.
he gradually backed the monster into his
cell. locked the door-and the mutiny was
Overt
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Bonavita
talked with perfect GOODNESS of the expe-
rience. and his only worry seemed to be
that he would not be BILE to hold the
usual performance last night on account
Of the frenzied state Of the lions.