Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-02-15

ance, or give back tkc money, ana
the manager was wailing about IL
cause nothing makes a circus man
wall like giving back good money.
Then pa said he would save the day
by taking charge of the animal act.
He said he had watched it every day,
and knew how to do it, and he could
dress up in the clothes of the regular
trainer, and the animals wouldn't
know the difference. Gee, but | was
scared to have pa try to run that aui-
NAL show, and | think everyone In
the show believed it woulu be pas
finish. l felt like al orphan when pa
camc out of the d~ressing-room with
the trainers clothes on, though pas
stomach was so big you would think
a olindfolded horse would know pa
was no trainer.
Well, pa went in the round cage,
made OF bar iron, and motioned to the
attendants to send the animals into
the cage through the chute from tine
animal quarters. The first to come
were two tigers that were to ride ve-
locipedes. l trembled for pa when
they went in and waved their tails
and looked at pa as much as to say:
20, We won't do a thing to you" They
actually looked at each other and
winked; but pa motioned to the We
l%ocipedes, and looked fierce, and when
they hesitated about getting on, pa
said: You won't, won't you" and ne
took a club filled with lead and start
ed for the biggest tiger. He hesitated
a moment, and then he jumped on the
machine, and the other followed, and
they raced around, and then pa made
them get off and jump hurdles. Finally
he motioned to a shelf for them TO
jump up onto, and when they hesi-
tated, he kicked M in the Stats, and
hit the other with the club, and they
went up on that shelf too quick, bat
they stayed there and snarled at pa,
and | was afraid they would jump Oh
him when his back was turned.
Then they brought in the blind
horse and the lion, and the lion
was onto pa, and he struck right off.
He got up on the pedestal from
which he was to jump onto the
horses back, but when the horse came
around the lion wouldn't jump, and
pa said: "Tll give you one moro
chance" and the horse went under
the lion, and he wouldn't jump. So
pa stepped the horse and took an iron
lar and knocked the lion off onto the
floor, and he growled at pa, but pa
kept mauling him, and finally tho
lion jumped up on the pedestal and
seemed to say: Bring on your horse"
and pa started the horse, and Mr.. Lion
made his jumps all right, and the au.
dience cheered pa.
All the animals went through their
stunts all right, but l thought | could
see they were laying for pa, and
wished he was out of the cage. THO
wind-up came when the lions vert
seated on benches, and the elephant
vas between them, and the tigers and
leopards made a pyramid, and the
monkey was clawing around pas legs.
The signal was about to be given for
the animals to return through the
chute, when the monkey tackled pa d
legs like a football player, the e.e-
plant pushed pa over, and the lions
paved him and snarled, and the
tigers took a mouthful out of pas
pants, and the leopards snatched his
red coat off, and the signal was given
for them to get out of the cage, and
they went out like boys at recess
leaving pa in the cage with the blind
horse, with not clothes enough LEI;
on him to wad a gun. He was not
ever scratched, however. the animals
having just combined to humiliate pa
The audience cheered. Pa said:
well, wouldn't that skin you" They
threw him an overcoat to put on, AMI
he bowed like a hero, and quit the ring
cage, and was met outside by the WHO'S
show management, and congratulated
on having more nerve than any man
alive.
Pa said: IF you will give me q
shotgun loaded with bird shot, | will
make those animals get on their knees
al the next performance, and beg mypar'
don. You can discharge your trainer
ana I will teach them a lot Of new
stunts"
Say. pa Is a wonder, and he has al
ready got old Barnum beat a block