Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1906-02-16

linen ~ Sei0 Nc W0ut0 ave the 0oy
by taking charge Of the animal oct.
He said he had watched It every Day.
and knew how to do 1t, 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 I think everyone In
the show believed 1t would be pas
finish. I felt like an orpha.i when "a
came out of the d~ressing-room with
the trainers clothes on. though pas
stomach was so big you would think
. 0lindfolded horse would know ia
was no trainer.
Well. pa went in the round age,
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 como
were two tigers that were to ride We
lociredes. trembled for pa when
they went in and waved their tails
and looked at pa rs much as to say:
20. we won't do a thing to you" They
actually looked at each other ami
"shNSu ouS pa " tuc We
l%ocipedes. and looked fierce. and when
they hesitated about getting on. pa
said: You won't, won't you" and he
took a club filed 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 male
them get off and jump hurdles. Finally
he motiOned to a shelf for them 70
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, bat
they stayed there and snarled at pa.
and | was afraid they would jump ou
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 cana
around the lion wouldn't jump, and
pa said: "Ill give you one moco
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-
dienCc 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. The
wind-up came when the lions were
seated on benches, and the elephant
was between them, and the tigers and
lcopards made a pyramid, and the
monkey was clawing around pas legs
The signal was about to be given FOL
the animals to return through the
chute, when the monkey tackled pas
legs like a football player, the e!c.
phanl pushed pa over, and the lions
paved him and snarled, and the
tigers took a mouthful out of pas
pants, and the leOpards snatched hi;
red coat off, and the signal was give
for them to get out of the cage. all,
they went out like boys at recess
leaving pa in the cage with the blinC
horse, with not clothes enough les.
IN him to wad a gun. He was moi
even scratched, however, the animal
having just combined to humiliate pa
The audience cheered. Pa said.
We'll. wouldn't that skin you" They
threw him an overcoat to put IN All
he bowed like a hero, and quit the ring
cage, and was met outside by the who.s
show management, and congratulate
on having more nerve than any mar
alive.
Pa said: "If you will give me
shotgun loaded with bird shot, l vii
make those animals get on their knees
at the next performance. and beg my par
don. You can discharge your trainer
ana l will teach them a lot Of new
stunts"
Say. pa Is a wonder, and he has al
ready got old Barnum beat q block
Never Tried a Case.
Jobn II Edloman has been n iustiCf