The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-26

tomorrow night
III be back" promised Yaple, a bit
brokenly. 'Pll spend one more night;
/ then it's got to end" and sOmeway
those words revealed a great deal to
Farnum that he had never known be-
fore.
Il got this wire from the rascal Nc
Intyre," Stettiner reported the next aft
ernoon. He thrust a sheet into Far
NUNS hands and waited.
80 he's coming, is he?" commented
Farnum without enthusiasm, as he read
it. We'll, we're lucky dogs, Stetti-
ner'
THE trouble is your substitutes beS-
ter than Mcintyre can be in fifty
years." grumbled the manager, tasting
| his words Sourly. rs Glover'-he
smiled at the alias; then bit seriously
into his cigarette again-'is this Glover
coming tenight?"
i've got his word" said Farnum
quickly.
wish we could keep him." muttercS
Stettiner. He put his cigarette back
between his teeth, and commenced to
smoke nervously.
Farnum was much too busy after that
to think about Yaple, but he did think,
and worry, too. 1t was their last night
in the city. and the crowd promised to
mode of advertising not done IT,
Farnum figured that it was simply an
outburst of wonder and enthusiasm,
generated by Yaple and the Twins,
which, flying from mouth to mouth,
was going TO flood the tent. He did
not like to think just what disap-
pointment - the non-appearance of
Yaple-would mean to that throng.
1t was about time for the perform
20 rbnr EN.a q
to menagerie quarters. He strained
his gaze for Yaple, and felt a great
relief at finding him, already riggGI
| for his turn, standing beside the Twins
cage. He was talking 10 them as ne
had the night before, only there was
different touch and meaning to his
words. Farnum realized suddenly that
the goodbys were being said and that
| he was an intruder But it was too
late to get away, when Yaple turned
and spoke to him. Farnum came near
er then, his eyes going from the Twins
| to YapIe and from Yaple to the Twins,
| finally resting on the mans face ana
staying there.
| You're so much like a family OF
lovers, or something, you three, that
| hated to disturb YOU" he began hes
itatingly, and with an odd little laugh
that was meant TO cover his emoarrass-
ment. Pm going to be mighty busy
later, and 1 wanted to say word to
you while there was time"
He cleared his throat, supposedly
| from the dust. 1t was queer place 10
speak what he had in mind-there in
the midst of the dirt-choked tent, IN
| that strange, palpable confusion or am
NAL sounds and stealthy movements,
suggested rather than heard or seen,
| the voices of the keepers, monotonous,
tired, the distant blaring of bands, the
sputtering lights casting shadows
athwart the cages
'Yaple, I've met a few men, and
never one like you. l thought L knew
you seven years ago. / didn't. And
those seven years have made you sew
en- times what you We're. I'm glad I've
known you, but l wish''-with a sudden
explosion of pent-up feeling you d
stayed where you were! What do you
think of all this finance tommyrot now
now that you've had another taste of
this? Can you shake 1t off without
| fght?"
Fight! Yaple ground 1t out almost
between his teeth. I've been fighting
myself these two days" Farnum saw
his face and believed. What do you
know about fight?-yes, you know. l
see it in your eyes," Yaple turned
slowly and looked at the Twins, so
| I've made my choice, Farnum, and
I've got to abide by it,"
Yes, you've made your choice" Far
mum said, and chOked.
They stood there in silence, feeling
that silence was better than words.
After a while, they walked over and
watched the crowds jam the main can
vas. Stettiner came up in furry
presently saying something about
| hn ha claimant
Yaple used in his last trick with the
Twins, and dragged them off to conduct
an examination. The keeper was COM
| planning of Jerry'S actions, and Stetti-
ner, nervous and fearful demanded
whether Yaple considered the animal
safe.
Il think there will be no trouble"
said Yaple, looking Jerry over.
| Afterward Farnum rallied inwardly
at restraint that had held him back
| from entering a protest then and there.
He had kept silence against his own
convictions. Work piled in upon him,
but he made a desperate effort to clear
| it up in time to witness Yaples act,
which came along near the end In
spite of his hurry, Yaple had been IN
the cage several minutes and was COM
! ing to the final trick in which Jerry
juggled skill with the Twins. when Far
mum entered.
One of the presentiments which come
to those who must look danger squarely
m the face and know it, came TO Far
mum as he watched them let jerry in
at the cage door. in reality, it was
with him long before. He knew then
that his presentiment did not rest
against the lions, but against the awk-
ward. shambling gated elephant. And
yet Jerry's appearance was everything
TO discourage suspicion. 1t was not
until Yaple's first command rang, clear
cut, that Farnum stopped cropping in
darkness and faced the truth
At Yaple's first word, Jerry obeyed
sullenly; at the second, he hung back;
the third brought him to open defiance.
Yaple stoop quite cool and fearless,
calling out the order to him. Sudden
rage seemed to possess the brute, and
with a snort and below he charged
straight for Yaple. The man held his
ground up to the last instant; then
stepped quickly and lightly aside. Far
mum breathed again. He tried to move,
| to do something, but his limbs were
uunh and worthless. KeeDerS were