The Virginia enterprise., 1909-11-26

Cousin Orone McDOoble is one of
the most patient men in Betzville and,
as he often says, you can never tell
what will turn up if you only wait
long enough. He is willing to wait
almost any length of time for some
thing to turn up, and it is this marvel
GUS patience that makes him so sue.
cessful as a trainer of wild animals
For eighteen or twenty. years he has
been waiting for some one to give him
a couple of lions or tigers, and as
soon as someone does give them to
him, he will undoubtedly train them
in . wonderful maner Cousin Orone
also says he is willing to wait consid-
cradle time for someone to give him
any other animal to train, and that he
will then show us something, but up
to the present no one has given him
any animal whatever. So Cousin
Orone has been lavishing his wonder
ful talent on Cleopatra.
Last Wednesday gentleman of
Italian parentage arrived in Betzville
with large, rough-cast bear and a
painful, squeaky flute, and after wan
dering through the streets of our
burg, put up for the night at the
Betzville hotel, and while sitting on
the front porch after supper boasted
that his bear was ready and willing
to wrestle, catch-as-catch-can, with any
living being in Betzville, two shoul-
ders to the ground to be a down"
For awhile no one in the vicinity
seemed willing to take the challenge,
and it looked as If the bear would
bear away the championship of Betz-
vile. But just then Orone McDooble
happened along and, hearing the chal-
lenge, said he was willing to enter q
wrestler, on the terms given, and that
he would put Cleopatra against the
bear In any kind of wrestle.
At once all became excitement on
our main street, and the crowd gath
cred. and there was a great deal of
conversation, for none of us had
known that Cousin Orone had a
wrestler by name of Cleopatra But
Orone Immediately took off his coat
and vest, and then he took off his
shirt, and asked Uncle Ashdod Cloots
to kindly grab the little black thing
that nestled between Orone's shoul-
ders. 1t seems that Cousin Orone, for
many months, has been training a
flea, and when not in use the flea
nestles right there between Orones
shoulders. A flea is splendid
nestler
AS soon as Uncle Ashdod had
grabbed Cleopatra. Orone took her
in his hand, holding her. firmly be.
tween his thumb and foref1nger, and
spoke to her as one man to another.
He explained what she was to under
take, and we all expected Cleopatra
to look upon the huge bear with awe
and fear, but she merely turned her
eyes to Orone, as if to say, whatever
you command, it Is my pleasure
to do"
"The honor of Betzville is in your
hands, Cleopatra" said Orone. Re
member the rules: first down wins;
two shoulders to the ground consti-
tutes a down. Go, my darling, and
may all be we'll with you!" Then he
set Cleopatra on the ground. and she
Immediately became lost to sight.
The Italian at first seemed inclined
to resent the appearance of cham.
pion that he could not see without a
microscope, but upon being duly
spoken to, he had nothing to do but
allow his bear to wrestle with Cleo
patra. He therefore spoke to the bear
in these words: "Jacka, you fights da
lea! You wrestle da flea! Maka da
good fight. Gitta da move on" 80,
At this the bear stood on his hind
legs and prepared to catch-as-catch-
can for all he was worth, but Cousin
Orone McDooble merely leaned
against one of the hotel porch pillars
and waited: He said that Cleopatra
was probably maneuvering for an
opening. The bear seemed surprised,
too. for he had nothing to do but