Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18


acknowledgements in the shrubbery. If it
hadn't been for the Johnnie boys in hot clothes
strol1in around you'd thought real one-ring
wagon-show had struck town. But say, that
bunch of clowns and bum bareback riders
had papas who could have given EN- Fore
paugh outfit every birthday.
Early next morning | got the tip from
PinCkney to sneak Rajah out of the stable
and over into the dressin'-tent. The way
that old chaps eyes glistened when he saw
the banners and things was wonder. He sure
did know a heap, that Rajah. He as
excited and ANXIOUS as new chorus girl at a
fall opening; but when | gave him the word
he held himself in
Just before the grand entry I got peek
at the house, and it was swell mob: same
folks that you'll see at the Horse Show, only
there wasn't no dollar-a-head push to rubber
at EN-, as they want on exhibition. They
was just out for fun, and | guess they know
how to have it, seem that's their steady
job.
Number four on the programme was put
down as Mr.. Lionel Pinckney Ogden Bruce,
with his wonderfully life-like elephant Rajah."
| heard the barker givin' his song an dance
about the act, and he got great hand.
Then Pinckney goes on and the crowd
howls
You see, he'd had a loose canvas suit, like
pajamas, made for Rajah, and stuffed out with
straw 1t was painted to look something like
elephant hide, but some of the straw had been
Rajah sewed inside of this, he looked like a
rank imitation of himself
Fake, fake p they yells at 'em as they
showed up. Who's playing the, hind legs,
Lionel!' and lot of things like that They
threw peanuts and apples at Rajah, and
generally enjoyed themselves
Then all of a sudden Pinclney pulls the
puekerlng string, yanks off the padding, and
out walks old Rajah as clipper as Billy
q of rxyba ba eli
ot-hand man makes pass over the egg in the
hat and pulls out live rabbit? These folks
acted the same way. They howled, they
hee-hawed, they jumped up and down the
seats.
They'd been lookin' for the same old ele-
plant with two men inside, the good old
chestnut that they'd been tryin' to laugh
over for years, and when this philopena was
sprung on EN- they were as tickled as a baby
with a jack-in-the-box 1t wouldn't have
got more'n one laugh out of a crowd of every
day folks. but that swell mob just went wild
over it. 1t was new stunt, done special for
them by one of their own crowd.
Was Pinckney it? Why, he was the whole
show! They kept him and Rajah in the ring
for halt an hour, and they let loose every
time RaJah lifted his trunk or tapped his ears.
When he got EN- quiet Pinckney made
speech. He said he was happy to say that
the grand door prize, as announced on the
hand-bills, had been drawn by Mrs jeremiah
Toynbee, and that Rajah was the prize.
Would she take it with her, or have it
sent?
You've heard of Mrs. Jerry. She's real
sport, she is: She's the one that stirred up
al that fuss by takin' her tame panther down
to Bailey's Beach with her. And Mrs. Jerry
wasn't goin' back on her reputation or missin'
any two-page ads. in the papers.
You may send him, please" says Mrs.
Jerry.
Maybe they thought that was all a part
of Pinckney's fake. They didn't know how
hard we'd tried to unload Rajah. We didn't
do any lingerin' around. While the show
was gon' on we sneaks out of the back of the
tent with Rajah and across to the stable.
The rest was easy. He'd got so used to seem
me there that | reckon he'd sized it up for
my regular hang-out, so when we ties him up
fast and slides out easy, one at time, he never
mistrustS.
Professor" says Pinckney, ait seems to
me that this is an excellent opportunity for us
to go away"
fits all of that" says I, and let's make it
quick shift"
We did. Goggles shook us up some on the
way down, but we hit Broadway in time for
breakfast.
Didn't happen to see Pinckney at the last
Horse Show, did your Well you'd never
known him for the same ambulance waiter
that dropped into the studio that day. He's
been on the rock for two months now, and his
nerves are steady as truck-horse. There's
more meat on him, too, than there was ]
don't have to have dust-pan ready in case
| should jolt him one.