The Washington herald., 1921-04-10

eesons ~tnat through Their very ferocfty.
would force them TO forget their natural en-
mites In becoming msnials 10 Q greater
power even than that Of tradition-fear. But
Beauty took little notice. Never before had
she been allowed to leave that arena q victor
and TO Beauty It could only mean that her
was only a Gagged animal Of the jungies. and
Beauty did not, could not. know. 80 she
mothered her cub and was content as the
afternoon died, and the contest Of the arena
ended. only to come to her feet again at q
voice outside the bars. 1t was Delaine. ours
ing her. before he left the menaserie house
and two hours later he was back, cursins
again.
But this time his voice was lowered. and he
moved CAUTIOUSLY about the place, watchfuI,
furtfve. But for him the animal house was
deserted; Il was evening the night vatchman
had not yet come on duty. Swiftly he fash
toned . hook from . piece OF heavy wire and
with this reached between the bars, vhi,e
Beauty. her cub behind her, watched and
growied Slowly the hook went to the heavy
wire netting which covered the bars leading
to the tigers cage. and work at the inse-
cure fastenings. few minutes Of effort and
the grating fell. leaving only the bars BE-
tween. safe enough as concerned Beauty and
Ratah-but far different for the small body
Of the cub.
Quickly the hook was, withdrawn now. to
give place to the prod rod. A savage Iunse,
breathless grunt from Beauty. and she had
been knocked. splitting, and snarling. away
from the baby she had protected. A swifter
sweep Of the weapon. and It had caught the
cub and driven it toddling and scramblins
forward. its tiny frightened yens growing
greater with every step. FuriousIy Beauty
Ieaped, only to be beaten back again. And
before her muscles could concentrate into an
other plunge. the rod in the hands Of DeIaine
had swept the cub through the intervening
bars and Tar into the tigers den.
A roar. racking. believing. as Ratah leaped
from his slothful position at the far end Of
the den and regarded the huddled. yoviing,
frightened intruder. A screaming yell as
Beauty. free now. pounded vstnly against the
bars IN leap after leap. Or, stretching forth
claws and drag it to safety again. But the
prod rod had been showed through TIE bars
Of the next den now, darting about In swift,
dark lines. to cut of the babys escape and to
edge it closer to the tiger. A strange cub
IN Gagged animals den means Just one thing
DEATH
Again a roar from RAjah, lower now, and
rumbling. Like the tremendous cat he was,
he crouched,' his yellow eyes following every
movement Of the unfortunate interloper his
big paws padding nervously. his sleek mus
eles seeming to glide into tensity heresth =
skin. Then bound the slap Of great paws
or the floor. a screaming yowl from the Cub
and the crunching OF heavy jaws. laugh,
low and satisfied. The changing OF the prod
rod as It was returned to its usual resting
place. Then the door Of the meaaxerie house
opened and closed half hour later the
right vatchman, investigating the r4cIling
howl Of an animal mother. found the wire
netting in Beauty's cage pulled from place,
evidently by one Of her leaps. and the cub
dead In the tigers den-too often the usual
end Of In animal youngster when 1t vanders
from home in the circus. And 50 he reported
In routine fashion to the animal men when
they came on duty the next morning. and
added that Beauty had quieted down during
Ere night
Quiet indeed; quieter than the animal men
ever before had seen the great, sleek, working
leopard. Fiat on her launches in the MIDDLE
Of her oho loxy ha,
tigers den and its two occupants, the big,
striped murderer, and the crumpled little
thing 1t had killed her baby. Nor did she
move when the animal man dragged forth
the tiny pun Of fur, and carried it away. For
Beauty was in a waking unconsciousness.
The tiger roared and Ieaped about his den
as feeding time came and the great hunks Of
meat were pushed between the bars Beauty
did not eat The morning progressed; De-
laine came to her cage and called to her
grufiy. She only moved her head and stared
at him in vapid. disconnected fashion. The
trainer swung his big shoulders and turned
to the anima, men.
"Grteving," he announced Went work
her today. Be all over It tomorrow. Put
Ra}ah and Capetown in there again. and III
whoop IL p with them Then he saw q
man and woman enter from III. other end of
the menagerie and stare in surprise at the
understood arena before the hiopopotam~
den.
Remember what said about letting Mar
tin and Bayliss work that hip only between
ten and eleven. It's too fat. I'm not going
tc let any shimal get worked to death around
this show-not while I'm running The