The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-05-04

end he said he put II on because he
had a bunch that those zebras would
make for running water If they ever
got beyond control. Well, the crowd
followed down TO the river. and every.
body was rescued. and the rest Of tho
parade went over the route, and in
the afternoon the tent was so full
there were thousands standing up.
When pa came into the main tent,
with the zebras, in the grand parade
around the ring, the crowd gave him
three cheers, which probably caused
the management to refrain from dis
charging him on the spot. Pa is like
a cat, cause he always falls on his
feet all right, and he thinks the zebra
tally-ho in the parade was the fea'
ture that caused the crowd to visit
the show; but he says he will never
drive zebras again, on account Of the
excitement.
The fat woman talks OF having pa
arrested for breaking one of her ribs
when he held her down with his feet;
but pa says his feet did not sink into
her more than a foot or so, and he
couldn't have hit a rib, nohow.
Well, | am glad to be back in the
show, cause there Is more going on
than there was In the hospital, where
| put in a week while the doctors were
pulling the cactus pin feathers out of
pa that grew out or him in Indian
territory. Gee, but if had to leave
the circus business and go back "a
school. | know | should die Of lone
| sOmeness.
| got a chance to talk with pa al
supper, and asked him If he was real
ly crazy, as the hands say he is, and
how he liked 2ebras, anyway, and he
said: "Hennery. zebras are Just PEG
pie, they stampede just like politi
clans and bankers, and business mer
generally, and never know enough tc
let well enough alone, The mule Is
the only draft animal that always
pulls straight, and gets there right
side up"
If ! was going to run a circus fol
easy money, and a picnic, ! wouldn'
have any ]menagerie connected witt
it. cause the animals make mort trou
bic than all the rest of the show
They are just like a lot Of children
in a reform school, they don't wan
to work, and they are just looking fo'
a chance to fight when your back Il
turned, or to escape. They don"
know where they would go If the!
did escape, but they don't want any
body oyer them, to teach them morals
though when meal time comes the re
form school boys and the menagert'
animals eat like tramps, because tn,
food is so good, and then kick be
cause 1t isn't better. If your perform
ers in the circus proper do not sui
you can discharge them, and II the,
are sick you al leave them in
hospital, and go on with the show
and forget about them until the,
show up in a week or two pale a
ghosts, and weak as cats, and demand
back salary; but your animal has t.
be taken along and petted, and whel
you give him medicine to save hi
life. he will try to bite your hand of
And yet you can't help getting stucI
on the animals, and a mas gets stuc'
on the kind of animal that is mos
like him. The grizzly old granger
who never buttons the collar Of hi
shirt, and whose Adams apple look
like a hens head, will stay by tn
camels, hours at a time, the piou
church man feels at home among tn
sacred cattle, the strong-arm holt
up man will linger by the grlzzl
bear, the prize-fghter will haunt III
lions den, the garroter will gaze To-
l ingly at the tigers, the sneak thit
seems to love the hyenas, and the bi
game hunters watch the deer and ell
Some of US who have brains love II
-- 49, .n RAJ, h,,ppnp