The Nevada County picayune., 1906-11-23

roS oetO 'ie evening performance began another big crowd had a.., ..' cred on the grounds. ea'A'
 T lad been on an inspect;o,. .. and stopped behind the av in,t 0ui Helena came out prepared to % oa A couple of minutes later Martell: yI: came along and We three snoLa - :. gether until her five lions were ~ " ried out in their small single caaa. m which were placed inside the lasss sss steel inclosure in the middle of IF Ss arena. Then the band struck nn m and Helena with playful good-bvss drew aside the curtain and skinned lightly out to her lions. ffA
 ',The music had stopped and ;. Helena swung open he door tbs. let the first lion out into the in' closure you might have been in church instead of circus tent fo. all the noise that was made With a crack of her whip the second lion sprang out and took its place. Shs moved quickly about breaking ths deathly silence by cracking her vb;n and calling each lion by name as she freed them. from their small quarters. Four were out and hun. dreds of eyes were watching her a, she sprung the lock on the last casp With another crack of her whip the door flew back and from where [ stood l saw she hesitated. while he, eyes sought those of Martelli's in 4 swift glance. At the same moment an angry roar rang out through the tent and I saw the fifth lion sprinp from his cage.
 '.The horror of the next 15 min. utos I shall never forget. Helena was knocked to the floor and with 4. savage snari the Ion leaped upon | her. For a moment l was dazed. but the shrieks of the women and the noise of the panie-stricken crowd rushing to the exits aroused lie and 1 rushed forward.
 T hadn't advanced dozen steps
  when I saw Martelli opening the door into the inclosure.
 For Gods sake, man. look outr I cried. |
 But he sprang inside and closed the door after him. He had heard my warning and turned for an in. 5tant. His face was perfectly white and his dark eyes glistened like crazy mans. In two bounds he reached the lion and ducking blow from its paw that would have hurled him across the cage, fell upon the prostrate form of the woman. Be. fore our men could come to the res cue with their red hot irons, the five lions. their savage natures now aroused, were battling with all their terrible ferocity over the victims"
 The old fellow stopped at thl; point in his narrative and nervous shudder shook his entire frame.
 Man, it was frightful-fright- ful" he cried. T couldn't describe it, Tn less than half an hour the boys had three lions safely back II their cages while two lay dead upon the floor of the inclosure.'
 The old snowman paused agaln and smoked for some moments n silence.
 ''It seems a shame to spoil pret' ty little story" he continued, "DuI since that fellow Ibsen shows up me as it really is, I might add that love was responsible for that troupe down there in '95.
 ''The fact of the business IS, Mar telli had loved and lost. When once convinced of the uselesSnesS of nl' wooing, he had looked for way ,o ', end it all. Would he finish hlmseli and leave Helena to marry anolhef' Never, It was jealous love Una. he offered her and the thought ol another man drove him to hls ac' With his innate cunning he iouu' the way. What could be better than the lions? By simply translerfins one of his own into one Of Heleha single cages his purpose wo'''u M v accomplished. He knew the i,va '. would be carried into the arena iOl Helena's act and without a aou0'