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

agerie quarters. He eyed Yaple's ap-
pearance incredulously, but came for
ward and shook hands gratefully Both
he and Farnum could see that Yaple
was gulping in the scene just as 1t
came to him-the smells, the sounds,
the conglomerate and the inartlculate
noises of the animals. the shouting and
trampipg of the gangs outside, every
thing-like a man thirSting, thirSting,
and never satiated. Farnum bent over
and whispered in Stettiners ear.
He's dreaming, do you see?" he
said Hes living and dreaming in a
real world. Cad, and how he's enjoy
ing it, too"
Late afternoon had been cloudy, and
the flaring lights already made gray,
swirling patches of the dust clouds in
the tent The three of them tramped
around to the place where the Twins
cage had been rolled. 1t was a test
moment-that meeting of Yaple with
the lions. Every nerve in the man
seemed to be a-quiyer.
"They look ugly" Farnum comment
ed, aside TO Stettiner. They're on fire
with the taste and smell of blood"
They've been nasty all day, so Jim
tells me-" rejoined the manager. Pm
afraid they can't be handled. / would
mt risk ii for" Stettiner shivered
slightly, and edged back from two pairs
of deadly eyes lighting the gloomy
depths of the cage.
Yaple walked steadily to the bars.
and without a tremor laid a careSsing
hand on a glossy paw half pushed
through Instantly there was a deep,
vibrating roar, a flash of fur, and a
mighty body launched itself against the
steel rods Yaple held his ground I'M
fiinchingly. only dropping his hand
with a quick motion. The other animal
had been aroused, and the pair of
them crouched, glaring and flashing,
rolling steel muscles under innocent
coverings of soft, furry hide. Then
Yaple began to talk to them in a low.
patient voice, keeping his eyes full upon
theirs as becomes a master and lord
ing. scolding, showing them that he
ing, scolding, showing theam that he
had no fear, only love, trying to awak-
en- the old affection that had been theirs
and which they had only missed, not
forgotten. 1t was a voice speaking
across seven years of absence, and II
was a voice the like of which Stettiner
had never known and of which Far
mum had only memory.
Was there some change, some trans
formation taking place in those brutal
intellects? Was there a softening of
bloodshot eyes, a relaxing of those in
superable bodies? If not, then two men
standing close behind them were blind,
and deaf, and without simple under
standing. For Yaple had first put his
hands on the bars; then touched the
fury-suppressed animals themselves,
and they had let him do it, half pro-
testing. Still Yaple talked on, some
times pleadingly, sometimes imperious-
ly, slave and master, but master even
-Io An ENa
timer marveIed and beheld it all with
out knowing when it had taken place
or why-only that the Twins love had
sprung up anew, as an old river cuts
a new channel, slowly at first with con-
slant eating and eating, then bursting
forth in uncomfortable joy to sweep all
before it.
That's enough, man." said Stettiner,
hoarsely, in Yaple's ear. You're d
wonder. The Twins'll die for you any
minute. They're yours. body and soul,
and / don't understand how you did
it,
Yaple wiped the sweat from his fore
head and turned to them, smiling. Far
mum noted the quiet fearlessness of the
man in thus giving the Twins an OPP
portunity when his eyes should not be
upon them. He discussed it with Stet-
timer afterward, and their admiration
and wonder grew apace.
AZ think I'll practice them a bit. if
YOU have no objections" Yaple said
to them. II may have forgotten some
of the tricks we used to do together.
you know"
Certainly" assented the manager,
and strobe off to see to the condition
of the big steel cage in the arena.
Revelations were impotent beside
what Farnum and Stettiner saw in that
brief hours practice. To Stettiner it
was the unmasking of a new and in
vincible personality; but to Farnum it
meant simply fresh grasp over the
old. strengthened and directed by the
knowledge and experience of seven
years. Yaple had come, into his own;
his power had returned, not broken,
not even married. but heightened and
irresistible. He handled the Twins as
il he might have taken them in his
hands and trounced them soundly but
kindly for disobedience. And through
X all his face and theirs were studies
of love between beast and man beyond
whose true expression no artist could
hope to attain.
1t was over at last. The crowds, the
bands, the circus folk were gone. Yaple
had come out of il strangely rested
and triumphant, though the fever
burned in his fingers when he shook
hands with Farnum and said good
night.