The Washington herald., 1909-05-09
LITERARY MAGAZINE

the courage not to desert Mademoselle and to go
back to the place where she would be- More than
Boots stopped and hesitated between the fear
of going on and the desire to seek another home
Finally she dragged four very unwilling feet doubt
fully to the flap of the dressing tent and after
scratching timidly heard Mademoiselles welcome
A MD Boots afterward regretted her decision, for
she was taken to the big cage regularly, even
when people crowded the benches of the vast tent
and the fiat rattle of the band set pace for their
work. Boots was never quite at ease, but she did
manage to assume courage in effect and would
watch the big black cat going through its PAGES
with an expression that approached solemnity But
all the while her feet well placed and ready
for n spring she had crept after birds and knew
the paw stroke and the 10y OF it; and she knew
how that black evil thing longed to creep across
the den to her. And Boots came to know the mate
well, similar beast, second black evil thing
having the same malevolent eyes and the same
prophetic hiss. She felt that between them they
plotted her destruction.
1t has been said that Boots had taken that
nonchalance which is the temperament OF show
life, out of which can proceed no surprise. But
day she came to a startling realization second
only to that shock received the day OF her
meeting with Mademoiselle. There third
black evil
Boots wondered how many of these there could
be. Vicious, treacherous beasts surely two of them
enough, and yet she had seen and heard a
third. This was a small one, a cub, and il wob-
bled weakly about its mother, Pierette
Now this outrage, thought Boots.
Another of those cats TO up, great and strong
and malicious. 1t, too, would have green eyes, no
doubt and would spend it's days plotting against
the lives of peaceful, betternatured things. This
would not do IL not just. Mademoiselle had
all she could attend to in the wicked personalities
of the two grown devils and now in their foot
steps this third, a sprawng thing for the
moment, mewing and smiling aud somewhat pitt
full, but tomorrow another black evil
During this time Mademoisee did not attempt
to drive Pierette through her usual performance.
The mother and cub were quartered at the side OF
the big cage, in den leading off and separated
from it by bars. The connecting door not
solid, like that which closed after the exit of the
Knave Pierette and her cub could watch the
,,1n nanf1 1nnng nd nf hn
and master and could see his humiliation as well
when he dared the whip. Perhaps he realized this,
for in the daily performances he grew more and
more sullen, responding slowly to the calls with
each succeeding day his spirit grew uglier, and
Mademoiselle had to lash him into obedience at
times. He snarled at her openly, and he fought
back at the whip lash with short, vicious paw
strokes. Boots kept we'll out of his reach and con-
tented herself with rolling the ball when he
attending strictly to something else She knew
that paw-stroke would be sufficient to bank
rupt store of ever many lives and she had
but nine More than Boots heard the man
Mademosele that her star performer was
moody and not to be trusted, but she would always
reply with n laugh, saying:
"Tll make him behaye I'll cut him to ribbons! y
Boots, with the cat instinct saw that the wretch
plotted, and only lacked an instants opportunity.
The faintest fraction of time granted to him, and
his low would assume a famelike spirit
of revolt and that would mean dangerous hghtng
to subdue. 1t when the people crowded the
benches, and Mademoiselle and Boots and the
black evil went through their public performance
that the beast evidenced extreme nervousness
Boots feared these periods short as they We're
She tempted 20 sneak off beneath the wagons
at the end of each exhibition never to return She
had not become afraid to the point of panic; Boots
had been with the show too long for that; but she
had grown cautious and fearing to the extent OF
calculation Each time she tempted
ssa to take up her wandering again, some
M how Boots would think Of Mademoi
selle alone with that black evil and ig
NsEsss norant Of masked wickedness Mademoi
IA selle would need friend some night IN
the cage Boots thought, and it came
- about eventually that Mademoisell'
Nh did.
M sss4sEa greater crowd than usual haC
.4& thrust and pushed and elbowed 1t
"a self into the main tent The oi