The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-03
SHOOTING BILLIARDS
IN CAGE OF BIG LIONS.
Extraordinary Game Was Result OF
| Wager Made mt a supper.

There are many nervous cue ex-
perts who can't run two points at balk
! line billiards if a strange spectator
is watching.
! j. w. Metcalf of London, in a match
game with w. P. Smith played in
d cage with four full grown lions,
not only ran ten points, but com
| pleted his string of rs in ten minutes
of alternate play at cushion caroms.
Five thousand nervous, frightened
| spectators witnessed the game from
| the surrounding tiers of the Scarbo-
rough hippodrome, but SO tense was the
interest manifested in the dangerous
exhibition, and so threatening were
! the postures of the lions, that through
| out the game not a sound could be
| heard but the click of the ivory balls,
| the snarling of the beasts, and the
voice of Mile. Ella, their tanner, as
| she held them in submission.
Neither of the two players display
ed the least sign of fear, and when
| they emerged from the cage the spec
tators cheered them for five minutes.
| Mr.. Metcalf who won, insisted that
he had not been frightened or ner-
vous at any time, but Mr.. Smith at
tributed his loss of the game to the
fact that, although not exactly ner-
vous, he could not concentrate his
| thoughts wholly upon the game.
when the she lion jumped upon
the shelf and began to snap at my
cue 1 couldn't help keeping an eye
on her." explained Mr.. Smith. Then
the snarling and roaring of the males
distracted me and l didn't play my
game I don't see that there was
much danger in the venture, though.
believe 1 could do better in a sec
ond game in the same place.
The extraordinary game of billiards
was the result of a wager made be-
tween the two players at a supper
where Mile. Ella, the lion tanner, was
the guest of honor. The details were
quickly arranged, and Mile. Ella agreed
to be present for the purpose of main
tanning discipline among her ferocious
pets. The billiard table was placed
in the cage Immediately after Elias
display of her prowesS as Subduer
of lions, and at a time when the eX-
cited animals are in a particularly
ugly mood. Cheers greeted the ar
rival of the players, but silence fell
the moment they stepped into the cage,
for it was evident that the lioness OBJ
jected to the cues.
The lions, too, displayed their hos
tility by prodigious roars, and Donald,
the fiercest of them all, attempted to
make d sneaking rush at Mr.. Metcalf.
Mile. Ella caught him across the nose
with a vigorous smash from the butt
end of her whip, and the enraged but
covered man eater skunk into his COR
ner, grinning and snarling. The lion
ess seized Mr.. Smiths cue by the
handle and would have torn it from
him and given battle but for the pres
ence of her mistress, who dashed her
Smartly across the face and command
ed her to her shelf.
No sooner had the balls of ivory
been rolled upon the green cloth than
the great beasts manifested a curious
and most pacific interest. One by one
they gathered about the table, eau
tiously at first, and cycling the. long
cues as though fearful of a clubbing,
and then watching with grotesque
solemnity what doubtless seemed to
them the inexplicable antics of these
two strange human beings. At last,
to satisfy his curiosity perhaps, one
of the lions leaped softly upon the
table, and with a playful or expert
mental stroke of his great paw sent
the worries whizzing about the table.
He was ordered down, ,obeying prompt
ly, but not till he had quite disarranged
the lay of the balls.
The game was not half played when
Smith attempted a masse shot that
brought the butt of his cue into close
P+OAiHlltJ Will Tic llOSS VI tie lIOuSSS.
She seized 1t in an instant, dragging it
from the players hand, and snarlng
| furiously when he tried to contest for
! possession, and would not surrender it
till Mile Ella had beaten her into sub
| mission At this juncture many of the
| timid spectators left the auditorium,
waiting in the Hobbies for the termina-
ton of a spectacle that was too much
! for their nerves.
| Meanwhile the game nm aY,7{dct
the densest silence. Smith, who had
! been playing the better game, missed
| several easy Shots and it was noticed
! that when he was on the same side
with the lioness he always missed
| When on farther sides of the table he
didn't watch his opponents's play, but
] kept his eye on her constantly The
| lions now seemed to lose interest in the
! game. They appeared nervous and in
ugly mood. Roderick, the second in
| size and the youngest, alone retained
| comparatively calm, but he, too, flew
into rage soon after Metcalf who
had run seven, and who seemed per-
| fectly at ease, was trying for diff
ficult shot. The young lion was sit
ting Immediately behind him, watching
| the stroke intently but when the play
or drew back his cue for the shot it
caught the unsuspecting beast sting
| ing blow on the point of the nose and
threw him into a towering rage.
Oddly enough, this sudden uproar
did not seem to discomfort Mr.. Met
calf in the least. He not only made
that shot. grinning at what seemed
funny joke on the lion, but completed
his run of ten, which proved to be the
best of the game. No delay was caus-
ed by the furious behavior of the hurt
lion, but Mile. Ella had her hands full
in cowing him, resorting at last to
repetition of that part of her own per-
Torrance which seems to mollify him
more than anything else. This con-