Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-01-23


amt but two lions; bill says ten;
man that wrote the bill was the Other
eight, l reckon"
The show-girl was fastened in the
central cage. The clowns raised the
inner doors, and the lions shot from
their cramped quarters swift as tawny
arrows. They were almost against
the slight figure. without seeming to
observe her. For the fourth time since
noon they stood erect, shifting the air,
their bodies u~nconined by CALLING tim.
bers and chilling iron. For the fourth
time this day, they were to be put
through their tricks by force of fear.
They hated these tricks, as they hated
the small cages in which they could
not lash their tails. They hated the
baby carriage" in which one was
presently to sit, while the ,.other
pushed him over the floor, his sullen
majesty sport for the rabble. They
hated the board upon which they must
see-saw, while the woman stood in the
middle, preserving equilibrium.
But greater than the lions hatred,
was their fear of the woman: and
greater than their fear of her was
their terror of that long serpent which,
no matter how far 1t might dart
through space. remained always in the
woman's hand. They well knew its
venomous bite, and as they skunk from
side to side, their eyes were upon
its coiling black tongue.
Il met Fran on the street." MUIR
INJURED Abbott, as he watched, unblink-
ingly. "She said she was going to
visit a sick friend. When did yon see
Fran last, Simon?"
Don't know" Simon said, discour-
~agingly. Now they're going to see
saw The black-maned one is the
hardest to manage. / reckon, one day,
he'll just naturally jump afoul of her,
and tear her to pieces. Look at him.
| don't believe this girl is going to
mike him get up on top of that board.
Myl how he is showing his teeth at
her. Say! This is a pretty good
show, hey? Glad you came, uh? Say!
Look at his teethl"
In truth, the black-maned lion
opened his mouth to a frightful extent,
making, however, not the slightest
sound. He refused to bulge.
Abbott shuddered.
"Samson!" cried the woman, i'm
pellingly. The other lion was patient
ly standing on his end of the board,
waiting. He seemed fast asleep. Sam
son, however, was wide awake and
every cruel tooth was exposed as he
stretched his mouth. In his amber
eyes was the glow of molten copper.
Suddenly Samson wheeled about,
and made a rush for his end of the
see-saw. He stepped upon 1t. He was
conquered. His haste to obey, evil
IDENTIFY the result of fear and hatred,
produced a ripple of laughter. The
other lion, feeling the sudden tremor
of Samson's weight, opened his eyes
suddenly and twitched his tail. He
was not asleep, after all.
Simon whispered hoarsely: TITS in
~teresting all the way through. A fell
low never knows what's going to hap
pen. 'Tain't as If you was watching
clowns, knowing whac the jokes to be
before they say it. To my mind, lions
are more like men than clowns are"
Abbott found himself intensely nerv-
Gus. He longed to have it all over,
anxious, above all, to prove his fears
groundless. Yet how were SO many
condolences to be explained away?
Fran had been a show-girl, a trainer Of
lions, and Abbott distinctly remem-
bered that she had spoken of a Sam
son." Fran had just these movements
and this height. He missed Fran's
mellow voice, but voices may be dis
guised; and the hands now raised to-
ward the audience may have been
stained dark. Who was that sick
friend" that Fran had possibly men,
toned only as an excuse for escaping?
Was that a subterfuge? And why this
red mask which, according to Simon
Jefferson, was an innovation?
At every trick, the black-maned lion
baked. He seemed resolved not to
leap upon the wall-bracket; and, after
attaining the precarious elevation. he
p~TcL0Hu0u uOt " unueISthHu IndC ne
must descend. His characterization
disquieted the enormous animal acting
the corresponding part. Even he be-
gan to pace softly to and fro at such
times as he should have remained mo-
t~ionless.
When the time came for the clown
to hand the woman her violin he was
afraid, and withdrew his arm with
marvellous rapidity. His grotesque dis
guise could not hide his genuine un-
~easiness. The members of the band,
too, played their notes with unusual
care, lest the slightest deviation from
routine work bring catastrophe. Moth
ing had gone right but the see-sawing
act; but of all this, the crowd was ig.
norant.