The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-07-13
WAS HE SCARED? WELL, YES
Would Rather Sit in Cosy
Corner Any Time.
THOUGHT ANIMALS WOULD EAT HIM
Eight Big Fellows in the Steel Cage
But Tommy Vows There Were
Hundred.

Tommy Enthusiastically knows
the debonair Young man who has trav-
eled the road for several years-has had
narrow escape from an awful finish.
In a moment of alteration he was Undue.
ed to enter the lions den of the Parker
show, and he had more sensations to the
minute than was ever crowded into his
life before in the same space of time.
He stood in the center of the arena
while the animals, snarling and growl-
ing run around him as if they wanted
to rend him to pieces. Ten eyes look
like two hundred.
In relating his experience and feelings,
Mr. Edwards said: 'Any man looking
for a sensation of a startling character
can obtain all he wants and more by
entering den of lions. | can vouch
for it and am willing to buy the cigars
if he don't admit he has had more than
he was looking for. What made Trainer
Dyer of the Great Parker Animal show
ask me to step inside the arena, where
the BIG brutes are gathered is more than
| can tell. Perhaps, he thought | would
be pleased. or its the trainers way of
showing courtesy. He held the door
of the arena open invitingly, but kept
one eye on the brutes gathered at one
end, all cycling him very suspiciously
For moment IAasitated; if had
been given another moment they
never could have caught me, but that
hesitation was my ruin, for some one
prOdded me from behind and | mcOn-
sciously stepped forward. The next in
slant the gate of the arena clicked, and
[ never had such deep longing for
home before.
Air Full of Lions.
"'Keep perfectly STILL calm voice
was saying. Keep perfectly still and
don't lose you head. | presume it was
Dyer talking, but ] am not certain. l
was not in the frame of mind to be GER
tain of anything. All l knew there
were about two or three hundred lions
cycling me in any but friendly way,
and | was feeling most unreasonably
sick. | wondered what had become of
my nerve, and weakness almost over
come me. | learned afterward that there
were but eight lions in the den but
don't believe it. There were at least
two hundred of them for | saw them.
After about ten years | found myself
standing in the middle of the arena, and
Captain Dyer was explaining to me the
use of the trainers fork, cheap ordi,
nary stick with pair of nippers at the
end. When the lion rushes at man,
the man, if he is quick enough, pokes
the fork in the animals open jaws and
gives it twist, If he is not quick
enough the lion will discover that col
lar buttons and shirt studs are indi-
gestible.
Exit Spinal Column.
Where's your Gattling gun?' l
asked in as calm tone as | could mus
ter. My what?' Your Calling gun, or
perhaps you keep siX-inch gun about,
you somewhere 4 don't keep any
guns about me; nothing but this stick
Again | wondered at the exact location
of my vertebrae. / would have said
many things had | been able, but my
tongue Glove to the roof of my mouth
and in the language of the street |
became google eyed 1t must have
been indignant on my part for | remem-
Der feeling very indignant tat the mean
trick that had been played on me. l
felt it was unjust to inveigle an unsus-
pecting stranger into a lions den with
nothing but a slender oean pole as a
means of defense. and would have well
coined a balloon ascension, with me tied
to the tail of the parachute.
Ring Around Posey.
"I will show you how / train them.
1t is very interesting to an outsider
said the trainer Very | said: but my
sarcasm did not touch him as he was
busy making the animals run around
the arena. 1t matters little which way
| turned there was always a. lion at
my back / never liked to turn my back
on anyone but as | was supplied by only
one spine and there were two hundred
of those big shining eyes looking at