The Delta independent., 1906-06-22
weather, I'll show you the sort OF
man am. should love bit Of dan

| weather, I'll show you the SOIL Oi
man am. l should love bit Of dan
ger for your sake"
About a week later, the girl was
sitting on the poop-deck, reading a
book. The "Old man" was marching
up and down with quarterback tro1
casting glances at her and thinking
how pretty she was, when suddenly h"
uttered a howl that would have fright
ened an elephant and sprang into the
port miZZen rigging. l was near at
the time, and looked at him, wonder
ing whether he had gone mad. Then
l saw what he had seen, and went up
to the starbOard miZZen shrouds as
quickly as he had gone up the port
ones. The girl raised her head and
locked up at the Captain and he gaped
down at her and tried to shout. But
for some time he could only make
faces.
"Look! lookw he yelled at last,
''come up the riggingr' The lion is
| loosew
She sprang to her feet and looked
about her. Not four yards away from
her the lion was playing with coil
oe rope, the terrible claws alternately
exposing and sheathing themselves.
The creature was paying no sort Of
attention to the girl at the moment.
but of course it might take 1t into its
head to spring on her at any instant.
As she stood, she was cornered be-
tween the stern of the ship and the
cabin door. There was nothing to be
done but to climb up the rigging.
She tried, but the first step was too
high, and she could not manage it:
when she realized that, l thought she
| was going to faint.
Hoskins was just going down to
give her a hand, but at that moment
the lion looked up and saw him,
and lashing its tail gave muffied
roar. The old man" stuck where he
was then. and sort of shivercd all over
like jelly. As for the girl. she moaned
despairingly. and gave herself up for
lost. Just then-out Of the cabin came
Professor Hay.
He took one look around and saw
the lion. Then he picked up n broom
that someone who had been washing
decks had left leaning against the
| deck-house. and pushed AT the lion
with 1t. looking it straight between the
| eyes He kept walking forward. push
| ing the beast gently before him right
into the waist and back into its cage,
in spite OF several ugly snarls. When
he had IL safely fastened in, he came
| astcrn again, looking not the least bit
excited or worried, and put the broom
carefully back in its place The girl
was looking hard at him. and her eyes
were shining: but he didn't seem to
be aware of 1t. Captain Hoskins had
come down the rigging and was look
ing trifie ashamed OF himself. He
hadn't known 1t was so easy to push
lions into their cage with a broom.
After bit he spoke up.
That was a fine bit OF work, Sir"
he said. III hadn't seen II, couldn't
have believed it,
"Oh, it's nothing" said the Pro-
fessor. 1T was my business. have
taTHd wild animals"
After that he seemed to dismiss the
whole subject from his mind. and went
down into the cabin. But l saw him
later In the evening. talking to that
girl. and he must have had something
| important to say to her. for when the
old man" met her next morning and
began making excuses for himself,
she cut him short.
Captain Haskins," she said. do
you remember advising me to marry
brave manE''
"! do" said Hoskins. a bit puzzled.
We'll, she said softly, "he asked
me yesterday; and I'm going to take
your advice"
All Of which shows you. Doctor that
| bravery Is very much a matter OF Gus.
tom. As for poor old Hoskins. we bah
mill-pond weather the whole way
home, and he hadn't even a chance TO
show himself.-Skctch,
/