The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-22

or sleeveless romperS, the men IN
overalls. In one big ring the stage
manager was drilling the ballet girls
and, from appearances, was just on
the safe side Of a hernorrhage.
mo, no, NO! Look, at me-one,
two. three, kick. turn. on the same
foot, then-NOi you're all wrong
again. Can't you ever learn a little
simple thing like that? Try it again"
A rider, leading another horse,
galloped by. Other performers sat
worked on a pair of stills. A young
ster was laboriously turning back
handsprings in far ring, coached by
an older man. The little Japanese
lady played at cats cradle with some
strings.
In the animal tent the lions and
tigers were asleep. one lion on his
back with his legs in the air. The
bears walked back and forth. A
jaguar crouched in a corner, his green
eyes wide and filled with hate.
Funny thing. There's trainer
Eere who has made a pet of that
jaguar," Braden said. 'It hates every
body else, but loves this one man, and
when he passes, it gets up on the bars
of the cage and puts out Its paws
and holds it's head to be scratched.
The mans not a bit afraid of it. Just
pets 1t like a house cat
Just then an enormous elephant
wandered footloose and evidently
fancy free thru the tent. No one was
at her head, no chain was around her
foot In the door way, she stopped.
gazed around reflectively, and then
shambled on.
She must be going to push something
into place." Braden said. He walked
along leisurely beside the cages, COM
menting on the different animals
within, and stopped in front of the
elephants.
A Much Advertised Herd.
did you see that article in the
Saturday Evening Post a. little while
ago, about some circus elephants
Mama and Billy and Frieda and the
rest ?" he asked. This is that herd.
The one at the head is Mama. She is
the leader of the herd. This little one
with the tusks is Billy-Billy Sun
day. The one next to Mama is Frieda,
and then Trilby," and he named them
down to the string of baby elephants,
who are only two or three years old.
He said that Mama Is about sixty,
which means that she has long time
to live, as elephants live to be over a
hundred. They stop growing at about
twenty-five.
The baby elephant, Tom Thumb,
four months old, and only two weeks
in America from Germany, stood at
the other, end of the tent in a little
private pen. He was hungry for his
dinner of boiled rice, which is all he
ever gets, fed to him in a spoon-and
he wanted his keeper to come play
| with him. He kept Juggling restlessly
at his chain and protesting hoarsely.
Presently his keeper came over and
Tommy Immediately began to make
odd noises and caress him with his
| trunk. When the keeper left, he Ia
mented and tried his best to follow
him off. When he found that he
could not, he contented himself by is
suing defiance to the supercilious-
| looking llamas next door.
Tom is crazy about his keeper,
| Braden said. He fell in love with
him before he knew him half an hour
| and now he wants to keep him around
| all the time. He's unhappy unless the
man is around somewhere Close
enough to touch"
Signs of activity began to be visible
around the tent. Men were lighting
| the gasoline jets, and putting things
into shape for the evening perform
ance. Outside a band was playing
The evening crowd was gathering out
side the ropes.
TITS nearly o'clock" Braden said
| looking at his watch. would you
like to stay for the evening perform
ance2 You can't? Well, I'm glad you
were able to come this time. Hope
we see you next year. Goodby."