The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-09-07
The Clowns
Story
BY CHARLES e. BAXTER

Ada was the starriest star lion that
Blake & Bexley's International Grand
Circus and Menagerie had ever
known. They say all lions know "a
sight more than humans give them
credit for, but won't say yes or no to
that. I'm only the clown.
She used to purr like a great kitten
when l went by, and stretch out the
soles of her feet for me to tickle them
through the bars. Rub her head? God
bless you, many a time I've been In
side her cage and run my hand down
her back and tickled her ears, although
it wasn't strictly allowed. You see,
I'm only the clown.
And she knew when T1pp had been
drinking. She couldn't stand that no.
how. She used to growl when he'd
put her through her tricks, and stand
flashing her tail In anger. You see,
lions can always spot anything wrong
about humans. But what made her
real mad was when T1pp had been
beating his wife. How do / know?
Well, in a way l have to watch things.
You see, I'm only the clown.
Nancy Tipp had been as pretty as a
picture when Tipp married her. One
of those little doll-like women who
take to men like Tipp for some reason
that nobody'l ever know. A regular
angel in disposition, too. High-trapeze
performer, and bred in the business,
and that's apt to u some women,
but it hadn't soured Nancy Tipp. She
idolized him, in spite Of everything,
and wouldn't look at any Of the boys
who used to cast eyes at her, though
there was many a one would have died
for her. How do l know? Well, I'm
the clown.
But when Cissie Bustom joined
Tipp-who was always ready for
anything in the female line that was
on Cissie's lines, Ada knew as soon az
any of us. After that T1pp used to
treat Nancy Tpp worse than ever, and
more than once I've seen her painting
out a black eye that Tfpp had given
her before running into the arena. She
grieved over' him, too, for a long time.
But after a while she got kind of quiet
and bitter against him, and I'd watch
him and think how I'd like to bust his
head If I was anything but the clown.
Yes, sir, Ada knew all right. Tipp
and Nancy used to perform together
inside Of Ada's cage, a kind of gym
nastic exhibition, ending in Ada's hoof-
ing Tpp out of the cage and lying
down at Nancy Tipp's feet. And
as Cissie and Tipp began carrying on
o. and more openly, Ada's temper
got worse and worse, but she loved
Nancy, and l think that's what saved
Tips bacon, If l may say SO, though
I'm the clown.
1t was the day before the annual
move to New York and Cissie and Tfpp
had been alone all day. Something
was in the wind. l didn't know what,
but what I did see, about half an hour
before the performance, was Tipp
standing alone in front of Ada's cage
and laughing at her. II anything made
Ada mad, that did. She snarled and
showed her fangs, and grOWled, and
dashed her tail, and bit at the iron bar
he dug into her ribs. 1t was clearly
his intention to. irritate her to mad
ness, and | wished more than ever I
wasn't just the clown.
When the performance come on that
night Tipp and Nancy stepped inside
the cage and l saw he had a loaded
r;etol IN hic hand Ado cow II fn0
and she acted better than for a long
time, but there was a mean look In
her eye which l recognized for what it
was worth. Then come the moment
when it was time for Ada to spring on
Tipp and roll him rel with her hoofs
which is the word I use for pads,
being only a clown.
And suddenly my blood went cold.
For I saw Tipp deliberately pull some
thing out of his sleeve and jab Ada in
the los Quick as lightning it was
done. With his back to the audience,
and quick as lightning he was on his
feet and boiling for the door as Ada
snarled. And | saw that it was his
game to make his getaway and have
Nancy torn to pieces, the miserable,
skulking clown!
My blood went cold, as l said. But
it was all done in the flash of a mo-
ment. There came a roar from Ada,
and just as Tipp had his hand upon
the door, she caught him. l say Nancy
run forward screaming, and fling her
self between them. And then it was
all owe and Tfpp lay on the floor of
the cage, and he would never beat
Nancy Tipp again, for his head was
half torn from his body. I yelled and
ran forward into the cage, and l must
have looked a pretty sight with my
face white and my spangles, me
dressed up as a clown!
Nancy was lying in a dead faint
across Tipp's body and Ada was
%crouching at her feet and never moved
nor uttered a sound when l pulled
Nancy up and carried her out. Of
course Ada had to be shot. But, as I
began to say, lions know a good deal
about humans, and if there's any lion
heaven I guess she's gone to it, though
VIC 1T hot oupIoSCu ~ XII VI SCAAouS
things like that, We clowns.
1t was a long time before Nancy
Tfpp became herself again and she's
only just gone back to circus life. Had
to do that knew she would. It's
born and bred in her. Yes, she did
nnd the right mar at last and she's
happy now-she was telling me so this
N