River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-02-15

ance, or give back the money, and
the manager was wailing about it,
cause nothing makes 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 I was
scared to have pa try to run that aui-
NAL show, and | think everyone in
the show believed it would be pas
finish. I felt like an orphan when pa
came out OF the dressing-room with
the trainers clothes on, though pas
stomach was so big you would think
a blindfolded 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 the
animal quarters The first to come
were two tigers that were to ride We
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 thing to YOU" They
winked; but pa motioned to the We
locipedes, and looked fierce, and when
they hesitated about getting on, pa
said: you won't, won't you," and ne
took 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 shelf for them TO
Jump up onto, and when they hesi-
tated, he kicked one in the Stats, and
hit the other with the club, and they
went up on that shelf too quick, but
they stayed there and snarled at pa,
and I was afraid they would jump on
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 tho
horses back, but when the horse came
around the lion wouldn't jump, and
pa said: "Ill 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 the
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 I thought I could
see they were laying for pa, and
wished he was out of the cage. Tae
wind-up came when the lions were
seated on benches, and the elephant
was between them, and the tigers and
leopards made 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 pas
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 Lett
on him to wad a gun. He was not
even scratched, however, the animals
having just combined to humiliate pa.
The audience cheered. Pa said:
'sWell, wouldn't that skin you" They
threw him an overcoat to put on, and
he bowed like hero, and quit the ring
cage, and was met outside by the whole
show management, and congratulated
on having more nerve than any man
alive.
Pa said: eff you will give me a
shotgun loaded with bird shot, | will
make those animals get on their knees
at the next performance, and beg my par
don. You can discharge your trainer.
ana will teach them a lot of new
stunts"
Say, pa is wonder, and he has al
ready got old Barnum beat a block.